Molecular Biology Core
The Molecular Biology Core (MBC) located within UNM’s Biology Department offers a state-of-the-art facility for students, faculty and visiting researchers. This communal laboratory provides common use large equipment, bench space for molecular procedures, and technical expertise to assist users in running the facility’s equipment. Equipment items for use within the facility include:
-
ABI
3130 DNA Sequencer (2) - ABI 377 DNA Sequencer
- Kodak Gel Logic 200 Digital Imaging System
- ABI 7000 Q-PCR
- Beckman J2-HS Preparative Centrifuge
- Beckman L-70 Ultra-Centrifuge
- MJ Research Tetrad Thermocycler
- ABI 9600 Thermocycler
- ABI 2400 Thermocycler
- Eppendorf EP Gradient Thermocyler
- Packard Cyclone Phosphoimager
- Kodak Image Station 440
- Robbins Scientific Hydra96 Multichannel Dispenser
- Jouan CR412 Swinging Bucket Centrifuge
- Eppendorf 5810 Refrigerated Tabletop Centrifuge
- Labconco Centrivap Concentrator
- Beckman 640B Spectrophotometer
- Nanodrop ND-1000 Spectrophotometer
- Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer
- Milli-Q Plus Water System
- Bio-Rad CHEF Gel System
- Computers with DNA analysis and image manipulation programs
To better serve the increasing needs for its services, the MBC recently completed a major renovation. This refurbishment project was made possible through COBRE funding and support. The new remodeled facility offers more usable laboratory and equipment space as well as new offices for support staff.
For more information on the MBC,
CONTACT US or visit
MBC’s website:
http://biology.unm.edu/ghrose/molbio.html.
Controlled Environment Core
The controlled environment core housed within UNM’s Biology department provides equipment to support routine tissue culture and experiments requiring precise environmental control. This facility was developed with COBRE funding and became fully operational in December, 2004. This facility houses 2 Conviron E8 Reach-in Environmental Chambers and one Conviron C1006 Controlled Environment Room. The facility also has a fully equipped tissue culture room. Additional equipment items available for use within the facility include:
• Zeiss Discovery .V12 Dissecting Microscope
• Zeiss Axioscop Mot Plus Flourescent Miscrosope
• Zeiss Axiovert 40 CFL Inverted Microscope
• Forma Class II Biological Safety Cabinet
• Branson 450 Sonifier
• Forma Orbital Shaker/Incubator (2)
• New Brunswick Pyschrotherm Saker/Incubator (2)
• Precision Low Temperature Incubator
• VWR CO2 Incubator (2)
Mass Spectroscopy/Proteomics Core
The
Mass Spectroscopy/Proteomics Core facility was established with funding from the
New Mexico IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program and is
a shared facility for the entire State of New Mexico. Core services include
routine and time intensive trypsin digestion, elution, spotting on Maldi plates
and data collection. Core staff assist with data analysis and in creating and
updating custom databases that are being integrated with expressed sequence
(EST, or cDNA based libraries) databases that are being generated by CETI
investigators using the Molecular Biology Core. Located in the UNM Chemistry
Department in Clark Hall, the Mass Spectrometry/Proteomics Core is in close
proximity to Castetter Hall. The facility houses an ABI 4700 Proteomics Analyzer
for peptide sequencing and MS/MS; a Micromass LCT Premier for exact mass
determinations and protein mass measurement; and a ThermoFinnigan TSQ 7000 for
GC/MS, small molecule analysis, and MS/MS.
Cellular/Molecular Core
The C/M core for cell culture work, histology and fluorescent microscopy of
fixed samples is equipped with a cryostat, a fluorescent microscopy room for
histology, a tissue culture room and basic instruments for cellular and
molecular biology.
C/M Core Associate Directors:
Ranjana Poddar, PhD
Res. Assist. Prof. Neurology
Email: rpoddar@salud.unm.edu
Surojit
Paul, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Email:
spaul@salud.unm.edu
EPR Core
EPR Core houses:
a Bruker EleXsys E500 EPR spectrometer (9.5 GHz) equipped with a standard TE102 resonator, and variable temperature control system useful for measurement of small samples, such as chemical solution, tissue homogenate, tissue slice, and cultured cells; a Bruker EleXsys E-540 EPR spectrometer equipped with a L-band bridge (1.0 GHz, low frequency) useful for in vivo imaging of free radical formations in the small animal models such as rat.
Three resonators are available, depending on the nature of the study:
imaging resonator for mouse or rat brain a 34 mm internal diameter birdcage resonator for in vivo studies with small animals such as mice and rats an external loop resonator for localized measurement on the specific site of an animal.
EPR Core Directors: John Weaver
Research Asst Professor
College of
Pharmacy
Email:
JMWeaver@salud.unm.edu
MEG/EEG Core
MEG/EEG core has:
-
a
4-channel high-resolution MEG system (microSQUID) for in
vitro and in vivo electrophysiology - a 128-channel EEG system
- a multichannel system for intracortical extracellular electrophysiology.
MEG signals from a hippocampal slice can be measured without signal averaging.
The babySQUID is a novel magnetoencephalography system for neonates and infants. The major goal of this project is to establish the feasibility of obtaining new insights into brain functions of infants with healthy brains, patients with cerebral palsy and epilepsy by analyzing the spontaneous activity.
MEG/EEG Core Director:
Yoshio Okada, PhD
Professor of Neurology
Email: okada@unm.edu
MRI Core
MRI core has a 4.7T 40 cm bore MR scanner for both structural and functional MRI in animal models, capable of T1, T2, T2* (BOLD), Perfusion Weighted Imaging (PWI), Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI).
The MRI is available on a per hour rate of $150 per hour for UNM research and $300 per hour for private/industry funds. Investigators acquiring data for a grant submission will have 10 hours of free time on the scanner to acquire data for their grants. If the investigator proposes to use the MRI scanner in the grant, the investigator should budget for the usage of the scanner in the grant proposal.
MRI
Core Director:
Rohit Sood, Phd/MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Email: rsood@salud.unm.edu
Optical/Electrophysiology Core
This Core has:
-
a
photodiode array for measuring transmembrane potential
changes with voltage-sensitive dyes - two differential interference contrast (DIC) infrared systems for single cell whole-cell patch and sharp-tip intracellular recording studies
- a two-photon laser scanning microscope-electrophysiology
station.
Optical/Electrophysiology Core Director:
John Connor, PhD
Research Professor of Neurosciences
Email: jconnor@salud.unm.edu
Surgical Core
Surgical core has three operating rooms for acute and survival surgery of small and large animals.
They are fully equipped. An autoclave is available for sterilizing instruments. There are two stereotaxic stations with microscopes for microscopic surgery. A Doppler is available for measuring blood flow.
Both acute and longitudinal studies are possible.
Email: Rebecca Purvis for questions
Microscopy Core
Morphological
studies are at the heart of understanding tissue
architecture, cell structure and dynamics, as
well as molecular function. Light microscopy has
been routinely used to determine spatial and
topological information about cells and tissues.
During the last decade, the rapid development of
new microscopic instrumentation and specialized
fluorescence probes has made it possible to
visualize cellular events in real time down to
the molecular level.
The UNM Microscopy Facility provides users with expert assistance and access to state-of-the art facilities for multiple fluorescence and transmitted light microscopy techniques.
The Facility has three confocal microscopes. The Zeiss LSM 510 Meta system has four excitation lasers (405 nm laser diode; argon: 458,488,514 nm; 543 nm helium neon; and 633 nm helium neon), can collect up to eight fluorescence signals and can separate closely overlapping fluorescence spectra using the Meta detector. The Zeiss LSM 510 and a BioRad Radiance 2100 confocals are each capable of simultaneously exciting and collecting three fluorescence signals as well as a transmitted light, DIC image. Confocal imaging and quantitative analysis can be done on either fixed or living cells.
Fluorescence ratio-imaging microscopy and quantitation of ion fluxes in living cells can be performed on a Till Vision, monochromator-based system.
Conventional epifluorescence microscopy and imaging capabilities are available on Zeiss Axioskop and Axiovert microscopes outfitted with both monochrome (Hamamatsu ORCA) and color (Zeiss Axiocam) digital cameras as well as an
KUGR: Keck-UNM Genomics Resource
The
Keck-UNM Genomics Resource (KUGR) is a shared service facility designed to
facilitate the use of microarrays and high-throughput assays of gene expression.
The facility receives partial financial support from the UNM School of Medicine,
the Cancer Research and Treatment Facility and the State of New Mexico, and is
available for use by all faculty at UNM and its affiliates.
The KUGR shared resource has a complete Affymetrix system including two
automated hybridization/fluidics stations, a high-resolution GeneChip scanner
with autoloader and GCOS data server as well as a suite of specialized
instruments for the analysis of nucleic acids and the production and analysis of
custom spotted microarrays. The KUGR facility offers a range of services
including:
The newest addition to the KUGR facility is a
Polonator next-generation sequencing
instrument, which will add new services, such as whole genome sequencing,
transcriptome sequencing and epigenetics and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing
(ChIP-seq) assays. These services should be available by July 2009.