HISTORY

The University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute (UTMSI) was created in 1985 by the Texas Legislature when it handed over the operation of the Texas Research Institute of Mental Sciences (TRIMS) to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC). UTMSI was placed within the operational structure of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. The resources, staff and location of the Analytical Neurochemistry Laboratory (ANL) were transferred intact and major support for the continuation of the ANL and UTMSI was provided by the former chairman Dr. Louis Faillace and the current chairman Dr. Robert Guynn.

The lab was created in 1976 as part of TRIMS. At that time TRIMS was the research facililty for the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (TDMHMR). During this earlier period the laboratory collaborated with the staff of TRIMS in various departmental and institutional studies. One of these efforts developed into a Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Program which offer quantitative measurements of antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs in plasma to all the state hospitals and schools within TDMHMR. The program was used to follow medication practices and refractory patients within the TDMHMR and it continued until around 1988. Laboratory efforts were being redirected to faculty projects of the university and funding moved from predominantly state support to a mixture of support from federal grants, pharmaceutical firms, clinical services and departmental resources.

The ANL has been and is responsible for the analysis of neurotransmitters and drugs of therapy and abuse in a large number of research projects funded by NIH and various pharmaceutical firms directed by many of our faculty. The laboratory maintains  CLIA certification through the Department of Health and Human Services.

LOCATION 

The University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute (UTMSI) is located in the southeast quadrant of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas and houses the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of the University of Texas Medical School. The Analytical Neurochemistry Laboratory is located in the east end of the basement and occupies approximately 3600 sq. feet of connected laboratories, instrument room and offices. The laboratory is in close proximity to the outpatient clinics (ground floor), animal care facilities, behavioral research laboratories (top floor and basement) and administration (top floor).

Chester M. Davis, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Director of the Analytical Neurochemistry Laboratory. E-mail: chester.m.davis@uth.tmc.edu

	Helen Ledkins, B.S. MT (ASCP) - Laboratory Supervisor.E-mail: helen.l.ledkins@uth.tmc.edu
	Vanalla Clark - Research Technician.E-mail: vanalla.clark@uth.tmc.edu
	Ana Maria Simonelli, B.S. - Research Assistant. E-mail:ana.m.simonelli@uth.tmc.edu

RESOURCES

SPACE AND EQUIPMENT

The laboratory space covers approximately 3600 square feet and contains four sample processing laboratories, three instrument rooms and four offices. The four sample processing laboratories are well equipped and contain fume hoods, ample work bench area, chemical and solvent storage space, glassware, refrigeration and freezer space, automated pipettes, bench and floor model centrifuges, and additional necessary smaller equipment to process and prepare biological samples for analysis. The three instrument rooms are attached and contain the major analytical instrumentation listed below:

INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT

	Hewlett Packard series II 5890 gas chromatograph with nitrogen-phosphorus detector, flame-ionization detector, 100 vial autosampler and HP 3396 series II integrator/recorder.
	Hewlett Packard 1050 liquid chromatograph with 100 vial refrigerated autosampler and HP 3396 series II integrator/recorder.
	Hewlett Packard ChemStation for LC, LC/MS and GC systems, with Laser Jet 4000 printer.
	ESA Coulochem II electrochemical LC detector.
	Waters model 481 spectrophometric LC detector.
	Shimadzu RF-535 fluorescence HPLC detector.
	Perkin-Elmer 460 atomic absorption spectrophotometer with graphite furnace.
	Aminco-Bowman spectrophotometer.
	Packard Tri-Carb 460 CD liquid scintillation system.
	Cobas Mira clinical chemistry analyzer.
	Olympus AU400 Clinical/Drug Autoanalyzer.
	Shimadzu CS-910 dual wavelength thin-layer chromatographic scanner.
	Zeiss MQ3 thin-layer chromatographic scanner.
	Forma model 8158 -80ºC biological freezer.
	Beckman model L5-50 ultracentifuge.
	Sorvall RC-5 B refrigerated superspeed centrifuge.
	Sorvall RC2-B refrigerated superspeed centrifuge.
	Mettler H20 T analytical balance.
	Cahn electrobalance.
	Toxi-Lab drug screening system.
	Millipore Milli Q water purification system.
	Heat Systems - ultrasonic model 350 cell disruptor.
	Ultra-Turrax TP-IS tissue homogenizer.

ASSAY CAPABILITY

QUALITATIVE ASSAY CAPABILITY

Qualitative urine/drug screens are available with the Syva immonoassay and the Toxi-Lab thin-layer chromatography systems. The Syva EMIT system measures groups of drugs such as amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, cocaine, opiates and phencyclidine. The Toxi-Lab chromatographic system measures more than 200 individual drugs of abuse or therapy.

The laboratory has the technical expertise and the instrumentation to develop and operate additional assay procedures on an as needed basis. Typically, a qualified researcher with a demonstrated need for chemical laboratory analysis will present a project to the laboratory director for evaluation and further collaborative project development if needed.

ana.m.simonelli@uth.tmc.edu