A flow-sorting core to identify and isolate stem cell populations and characterize their progeny using fluorescence. Its primary tool, a fluorescence-activated cell sorter, "fishes out living stem cells and keeps them alive for transplantation and study," Grompe said. A cell isolation core to culture, store and distribute specific stem cells. This will allow many researchers at OHSU rapid and easy access to professionally isolated and maintained, high-quality stem cell sources. A monoclonal antibody production core to develop the large quantities of novel antibodies needed for identifying and purifying specific stem cells. Such a service has not been commercially available. "We'll be able to give cells to the core and get antibodies back for researchers," Grompe said. "And the antibodies don't have to be against stem cells to be effective."

The monoclonal antibody production core will be especially useful to cancer researchers, said Grover Bagby Jr., M.D., professor of molecular and medical genetics, OHSU School of Medicine, and director of the OHSU Cancer Institute.

"Having the capacity to make antibodies is going to be a nice core to have," he said. "I think a good number of cancer researchers will come to use that core. It'll be used right out of the gate."

And that could help scientists better track the progression of cancer, most forms of which are mutant outgrowths of stem cells.

"Understanding the cause of cancer definitely leads squarely into the ballpark of stem cells. We know it's true of leukemia and I suspect it's probably true of all other tissues," Bagby said. "There are a lot of things we can learn about stem cells that can lead to an understanding of how to protect them."

Dorsa and Grompe hope the center bolsters the development of OHSU-born spinoff companies while enhancing the university's partnerships with local and national biotechnology firms. It also could make OHSU more of a target for federal grants.

"There are very likely new industries that will be created by virtue of the new activity of the center," Dorsa said. The antibody core, for example, "will be attractive to commercialization."

The Oregon Stem Cell Center is funded by a three-year, $4.5 million grant from the Oregon Opportunity, the statewide, $500 million biomedical research funding initiative supported by public and private dollars. Three faculty members specializing in stem cell research also will be hired during the next two years.

Dorsa believes the Oregon Stem Cell Center fits in well with the National Institutes of Health's "Roadmap" initiative, which strives to accelerate fundamental discovery and translation of that knowledge into effective prevention strategies and new treatments.

"NIH dollars will be attracted by the stem cell center and the investments it will create," Dorsa said. "We think this one will be well positioned to compete for those dollars."