The Core B Bioassay Core is designed to serve the Research Base as a centralized resource for preparation[unreadable] and storage of clinical samples, and for conducting a range of basic science assays on clinically derived[unreadable] material. In the less than two years since its founding, the Bioassay Core has already proven its ability to[unreadable] serve the members of the Division of Rheumatology, by providing crucial assay services for two peerreviewed[unreadable] publications, several abstracts accepted for presentation at the American College of[unreadable] Rheumatology, and three recently submitted investigator-initiated grant proposals. The aim of this proposal[unreadable] is to build from this strong beginning, providing a wider array of services to a larger number of investigators[unreadable] inside and outside the Division, investigating the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of autoimmune rheumatic[unreadable] disease. While both basic scienctists and clinicians have historically excelled in the Division, in recent years[unreadable] the Division has witnessed a leap forward in clinical research, through the establishment of the clinical[unreadable] Centers of Excellence in SLE, scleroderma, inflammatory arthritis, vasculitis, and most recently myositis.[unreadable] The next leap forward will require the same central coordination of human and physical resources on the[unreadable] basic science side, and the Bioassay Core represents a critical step in that direction. The Bioassay Core will[unreadable] provide the following services: sample preparation and storage, including RNA and DNA preparation from[unreadable] whole blood and PBMC preparation and cryopreservation; analysis of soluble molecules using ELISA and[unreadable] multiparameter bead-based assays; flow cytometry; immunohistochemistry; and autoantibodies and other[unreadable] immunological assays. The Core will be led by Dr. James Mahoney, who has managed the Core since its[unreadable] inception and has many years experience in immunology and assay development. Additional leadership will[unreadable] be provided by Drs. Mark Soloski and Livia Casciola-Rosen. The functions of the Bioassay Core will provide[unreadable] critical synergies with the Genomics/Genotyping Core and the clinical Centers of Excellence, and will provide[unreadable] a fertile environment for the next generation of discoveries in the autoimmune rheumatic diseases.