Shared Research Facilities and Equipment

This is a user-operated facility that allows investigators to micro-dissect from tissue samples specific subsets of cells or sub-cellular structures, which usually are subjected to further protein or nucleic acid analyses. Users are required to undergo training.

The Light Microscopy Core Facility (LMCF) offers a wide range of confocal and fluorescence microscopes and image analysis resources. We aim to offer affordable and efficient access to standard and advanced imaging instrumentation.

The Macromolecular Crystallography (MX) core, part of the UNC Center for Structural Biology, offers services in growing diffraction-quality protein crystals, including screening of crystal-producing experimental conditions and scaling up those conditions; as well as screening crystals for diffraction quality then collecting full datasets of diffraction images. We can also help determine your crystal structures, analyze them, and help you publish.

The Mac-In-Fac (part of the UNC Center for Structural Biology) provides instrumentation and resources for characterization of macromolecules and their interactions using isothermal and differential scanning microcalorimeters (ITC and DSC), surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensors, analytical ultracentrifuges, circular dichroism (CD) spectrometers, spectrofluorometer, fluorescence plate reader, and static and dynamic light scattering instruments.

The Marine Conservation Molecular Facility (MCMF) is a shared use molecular lab for genetic analysis of marine organisms. The MCMF offers 8 bench spaces, 12 thermal cyclers, 2 real-time thermal cyclers, a pipetting robot, and an ABI Sequencer.

The Marine Magnetic Resonance Facility houses a 4.7 T 40 cm bore horizontal magnet. The flexibility of the instrument allows scientists to study questions ranging from how sea food spoils, to how toxins, drugs or even environmental stressors affect the physiology and biochemistry of marine animals.

The overall goal of the Choline & Metabolites Lab Facility is to provide cutting edge nutritional biochemical analysis of choline and metabolites in human, plant and mouse populations. To request choline & metabolites services, please complete our online service request form. [http://norc.sph.unc.edu/core_c/request_form.php]

METRIC is focused on advanced molecular characterization and is one of five NC State Shared Core Research Facilities administered by the Office of Research and Innovation. We offer technical expertise and state-of-the-art instrumentation encompassing magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography.

This MHI Core Laboratory provides a variety of established and experiment-specific small animal surgical/microsurgical models for a broad range of research applications, with the primary function of meeting investigator needs. The Core Faculty Director and staff have extensive experience with mouse, rat, and other animal models across many disciplines. The Core focuses on murine models which have become a predominant tool for many research labs. The Core Director will meet with PIs and/or staff and students to discuss model selection, development, and applications, as well as data acquisition and analysis. Power analyses for group size determination can be done from existing data sets of the PI or from validation data established by the Core. There are also self-service equipment offerings, which include ultrasound, microsurgical work station rental, non-invasive blood pressure monitoring, and intravital confocal microscopy.

Our mission is to help YOU with YOUR research. Electron microscopy services include project consultation, sample preparation, imaging and training on transmission and scanning electron microscopes. Light microscopy services include project consultation and training on image acquisition. Confocal, light-sheet, widefield fluorescence, darkfield, and polarization microscopy available. Image analysis services including training on image analysis (3D and 2D analysis, colocalization, macros, etc.)