National Centers of Systems Biology
Research Services & Instrumentation
Center for Quantitative Biology (Princeton University)
Lewis-Sigler Institute Microarray Facility
The Microarray core facility is fully equipped for all aspects of microarray production and data acquisition. Complementary DNA, (cDNA’s) and PCR products are amplified and quality checked using the high throughput liquid handling Beckman Coulter Biomek FX, and MJ Research Tetrad thermocyclers. Spotting of PCR products or long Oligomers is accomplished on in-house Arrayers built according to the Joe DeRisi, Pat Brown design and operated by software written by Joe DeRisi. Hybridization probes are checked prior to labeling using the Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100 and the Nanodrop spectrophotometer. Post labeling efficiency is quantified by Nanodrop prior to application of probes to the array. Post-hybridization image acquisition is accomplished using any of two available scanners, an Axon 4200A Professional Scanner equipped with four laser scanning capability, or an Agilent Microarray scanner , two color, equipped with a 48 slide auto-sampler carousel. Data extraction from the images is accomplished using Axon’s Genepix software, versions 4.0, 5.1, or 6.0, or Agilent’s data feature extraction software v 9.5. The facility also offers access to an Affymetrix Array station consisting of two fluidics stations handling four chips each, a hybridization oven, and a scanner-3000 complete with the “7G” upgrade. GCOS software is available for data analysis. Two computer workstations are available with Acuity 4.0 Software, and one with Pathway Assist Software. Complementary to microarray analysis the facility offers access to two ABI 7900 quantitative PCR machines, one equipped with a 96 well block, the other with a 384 well block and robotic plate loader. The facility also offers next generation sequencing services using the Illumina Genome Analyzer IIX, and offers custom data analysis consulting. The entire lab space is ozone free protecting dye integrity of samples. Personnel are available to contract for any and all aspects above, or to train, assist and troubleshoot..
Lewis-Sigler Institute Imaging Facility
The increasing need for quantitative optical methods in biology often requires specialized instrumentation. The Imaging Core Facility was created with the idea of offering researchers at the University a set of instruments that can be tailored to their particular application as well as help in implementing the set-up the most appropriate. The facility opened in March 2006, and now has three two-photon scanning microscopes available. The hardware and the control software for all three instruments are flexible enough to permit modifications for specific experiments. Researchers can book the instruments for extended periods of time (up to several weeks in a row if necessary).
Princeton Mass Spectrometry and Synthesizing / Sequencing Facility
The Mass Spectrometry Facility is one of the centralized service facilities of the Molecular Biology Department at Princeton University. Our primary goal is to provide state-of-the-art analytical services to researchers who demand sophisticated modern instrumentation in the area of nucleic acid and protein chemistry.
Center for Systems Biology
Core Facilities
Center technology development is driven by the increasing biological complexity of scientific inquiry. Each Core is a venue for collaborative technology development and application in a variety of biological systems. The NIGMS award has been critical for catalyzing the development of the Informatics and Microfluidics and Imaging Cores and is the foundation for Core outreach, education and training. Leverage of the NIGMS award with another NIH program resulted in the acquisition of a Laser-enabled analysis and processing (LEAP) instrument that provides significantly higher throughput and more targeted perturbation of cell populations. The LEAP acquisition has resulted in new research capabilities and educational and training opportunities made possible solely by the NIGMS award.
Genomics Core
Proteomics Core
Microfluidics and Imaging Core
Informatics Core
Chicago Center for Systems Biology
The BAC-Recombineering Core can provide investigators affiliated with CBC schools the capability to dynamically image fluorescently tagged proteins in model organisms and measure spatiotemporal expression of protein of interest.
The IGSB Cellular Screening Center (CSC)
CSC houses a state-of-the art high throughput cellular screening facility which opened in 2007. Support from the Chicago Biomedical Consortium and The University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division enabled the creation of the CSC. The CSC facilitates drug discovery and development by defining the complex genetics underlying disease, isolating chemical compounds that affect specific cellular activities, and developing potential therapeutics to target disease pathways. Automation is present for all aspects of the screening process. Without automation a 300 plate screen would take as long as 2 months. With the automation present in the CSC the same screen can be performed in as little as 2 days. CSC facilities are available to a broad network of Chicago area investigators on a collaborative basis established through internal and external funding. The Center has attracted a significant number of collaborations with area scientists in fields as diverse as cancer biology, diabetes and ophthalmology.
The IGSB High-Throughput Genome Analysis Core (HGAC)
HGAC is a state-of-the-art facility providing resources and services for ultra-high-throughput sequencing and large-scale microarray processing. Operated by the Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, the HGAC facility is available to University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory investigators and their collaborators
Micro-Western Array Core (MWA)
The Micro-Western Array (MWA) Core is a technological initiative designed to provide a quantitative platform for studies of abundance and modification of pre-selected protein targets.
Center for Modular Biology (Harvard University)
The core facilities at the Harvard Center for Modular Biology provide state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise in genomic technologies, automation and bioinformatics to scientists at Harvard and outside. Our technical staff provide expertise and hands-on training in protocols and the use of instrumentation for a nominal fee. Researchers can sign up to use the instrumentation through an on-line scheduling system and conduct their experiments independently.
Center for Complex Biological Systems (UC Irvine)
The Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics (LFD) is a national research resource center for biomedical fluorescence spectroscopy, supported by the National Center for Research Resources division of the National Institutes of Health (grant number PHS 5 P41-RR003155), and the University of California, Irvine. The founder and Principal Investigator of the LFD is Enrico Gratton. The LFD’s main activities are:
* Services and Resources: the LFD provides a state-of-the-art laboratory for fluorescence measurements, microscopy and spectroscopy, with technical assistance to visiting scientists.
* Research and Development: the LFD designs, tests, and implements advances in the technology of hardware, software, and biomedical applications.
* Training and Dissemination: the LFD disseminates knowledge of fluorescence spectroscopic principles, instrumentation, and applications to the scientific community.