Learn more about facilities in the Department of Surgery.
Division of Applied Biomedical Engineering
Laboratory: Maintains a polymer fabrication lab (700 square feet), system assembly clean room (260 square feet), machine shop (1,000 square feet), electronics lab (200 square feet), mock loop test lab (630 square feet), mechanical assembly room (120 square feet) and computer-aided design room (120 square feet) in the Biomedical Research Building. There is also 1,200 square feet of space for labeling and analysis of blood sacs and retrieved samples. Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center maintains a 1,000-square-foot clinical Hematology, Coagulation and Thrombosis Laboratory section that also supports our research mission. Statistical analysis support is also available.
Animal: The large animal wing of the Animal Research Facility has surgery and surgical support facilities (2,000 square feet), two animal care rooms (1,250 square feet), a radiology suite, holding rooms and a necropsy room. Office and storage space (800 square feet) are also available. The Comparative Medicine Department includes histopathology, clinical chemistry and microbiology labs to support research. The diagnostic labs provide rapid hematology, clinical chemistry, serologic and histologic support and diagnostic bacteriological studies, including antibiotic sensitivity testing for each species of lab animal. A staff of veterinarians trained in lab animal medicine and veterinary pathology provides professional support.
Computer: Computer-aided design tools and data acquisition systems in the Division of Artificial Organs are PC-based. Licensed software includes Solidworks, Autodesk, ANSYS RMXprt and Maxwell, LabView, Matlab and Mathcad. Several stand-alone PCs are available for controller software development, data acquisition and analysis, and monitoring of in vivo and in vitro experiments.
Office: Adequate office space is available for conferences, analysis of research data and manuscript preparation. PicTel facilities are available for conferencing between the University Park and Hershey campuses.
Division of Colorectal Surgery
Laboratory: Located on the fourth floor of Biomedical Research Building, our laboratory is state-of-the-art and is well-equipped for all aspects of biochemical, molecular biology and molecular genetics research. The laboratory has a total of 1,983 square feet, in four rooms. Room C4814 includes approximately 895 square feet of laboratory space and access to a shared common equipment space of 185 square feet, all of the standard laboratory equipment (i.e., vortexes, stirrers, pH meter, balances, etc.) and an array of molecular biology equipment, refrigerators, freezers, centrifuges, incubators and more. Two PC computer systems with attached printers and full access to high-speed internet and Penn State networking are also available. Room C4819 is 384 square feet and has an attached 80-square-foot office room with 2 PC computer systems with attached printer. One special area is for surgery of small animals such as mice and rats. Rooms C4816 and C4818 have a combined 1,160 square feet, with four office rooms.
Division of Otolaryngology
Zubar Temporal Bone Laboratory: We have a dedicated temporal bone laboratory at the College of Medicine, consisting of a space with a total of 414 square feet. This space is a fully equipped temporal bone lab. Our laboratory in room C4821 contains an anteroom with eight temporal bone stations. Each is equipped with connections for air, water and vacuum, as well as an operating microscope. In addition, in the back room (C4821A), there is a ninth temporal bone station with the same hookups, as well as wiring to allow for digital display of the microscope view to the anteroom. This allows for the ability to display a drilled specimen. Additionally, the back room has some laboratory facilities, including a hood and a bench. There is also a full-sized freezer as well as a refrigerator for housing specimens.
Division of General Surgery
Laboratories: We have two dedicated laboratories, one at the College of Medicine (COM; Department of Surgery) and one at University Park (UP; Department of Nutritional Sciences). The laboratories are electronically connected using Smartboard technology and plasma panels. Both labs contain large laminar flow hoods, 37-degree C incubators, and large fume hoods. Both are authorized by Penn State University to use radioisotopes and biohazardous (BSL2) organisms.
Hershey laboratories: Our dedicated laboratories at the College of Medicine consist of two separate spaces with a total of 2,142 square feet. This space is a fully equipped biochemistry, cell and molecular biology and surgical facility which contains adequate bench and desk space to facilitate the work of approximately 15 individuals. Our laboratory contains an anteroom, which is dedicated office space. Departmental resources that are shared include glass washing/autoclaving, real-time PCR thermocycler, multiple centrifuges, gamma and beta scintillation counters for the sensitive detection of radioisotopes, a darkroom and developing equipment, walk-in refrigerator and numerous biofreezers for sample storage.
University Park laboratories: Our dedicated laboratory at UP consists of a large space with approximately 2,000 square feet with three separate anterooms and a walk-in refrigerator. This space is a fully equipped biochemistry, cell and molecular biology facility which contains adequate bench and desk space to facilitate the work of approximately 15 individuals. Departmental resources that are shared include real-time PCR thermocycler, phoshoimager, multiple HPLC systems for the separation and measurement of various molecules, multiple centrifuges (ultra-, high-speed), gamma and beta scintillation counters for the sensitive detection of radioisotopes, a darkroom and developing equipment. We are fully equipped to perform trace mineral analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and ICP-MS.
Offices: The vice chair for research in the Department of Surgery has an office suite with approximately 320 square feet, in addition to the anteroom described as office space in the laboratory. The office is on the fourth floor of the main building at Penn State College of Medicine, Room C4630. At University Park, a separate office is in the Chandlee Laboratory on the second floor, Room 223. The office is approximately 120 square feet.
Division of Plastic Surgery
Graham Laboratory: The well-equipped 1,000-square-foot laboratory has four rooms with four benchtop areas: Western blot, RNA, Northern blot and immunohistochemistry. There is also work space for occupants.
Office and meeting space: The PI has a separate office within the Division of Plastic Surgery. The Divisions of Plastic Surgery has a library/conference room with generous space for group meetings between key personnel.
Division of Surgical Oncology
Laboratory and facilities: Approximately 1,000 square feet of oncology laboratory bench space in Rooms C5525 and C5529 opposite the faculty offices, and adjacent to the Penn State Cancer Institute. Within the laboratory there is a walk-in cold-room (50 square feet), cell culture room (110 square feet) and fume hood radioisotope handling facilities. In addition, there is a shared darkroom, and all other common equipment required in a modern nucleic acid and protein chemical laboratory, including incubators, refrigerators, freezers, centrifuges, transilluminators and more.
3D Printing Program
A 3D printing program has been established within the Department of Surgery. The 3D printer allows for the rapid conversion of innovative ideas into working prototypes for experimental use in just a few hours. Working in concert with Radiology’s “3D Recon enhanced patient imaging technologies,” anatomical models can first be visualized in 3D and then quickly built to hold in your hands for use as a surgical planning tool, clinical decision adjunct, surgical practice tool or classroom aide.
The Fortus 400mc 3-D printer is located in C4813 in Penn State College of Medicine. Cost for using the printer is based on an hourly rate with discounts for larger print times.
For details, email 3DPrint@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.