Shared Research Facilities and Equipment

The Center for Structural Biology is an integrated platform of expertise, education, and infrastructure for making structural biology available as a tool to the general researcher. Projects are carried out in a collaborative manner. CSB scientists work with and train students, post-docs and PIs, allowing the transfer of valuable know-how back into collaborating labs.

We provide services and training in all aspects of cryo-electron microscopy in a supportive collaborative research environment. Including specimen preparation, cryo-electron microscopy data collection, and structural analysis. Our facility is accessible to researchers from academia and industry.

The UNC Flow Cytometry Facility provides state-of-the-art flow cytometry and related services to the entire UNC-CH research community as well as to others in the Research Triangle Park area. A skilled staff provides cell sorting services, help with instrument setup, data analysis, and consultation for experiment design. Training is available to enable investigators and their staff to run the analytical cytometers themselves at reduced cost. A major part of our mission is to teach this technology to investigators, students, and staff. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about flow cytometry, if you want to know if you can use it in your research, how to design experiments, prepare samples, or how to analyze your data.

The Integrated Genomics Cores provide an integrated platform of technology, expertise, education, and infrastructure that creates an accessible environment for researchers to undertake both cutting edge and traditional genomics projects. Our Mission is: • Apply the tools of high throughput sequencing technology and experience to enrich medicine and basic biological research at The University of North Carolina. • To help identify the causes of complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and demonstrate the underlying bases for multiple types of infectious diseases. • To support UNC researchers, students, and their collaborators in their work with our state-of-the-art technology to make medical and scientific breakthroughs happen. • Apply these tools to provide unique data and insights and solve problems for Government, industry, and academic partners throughout the world. The Core specializes in these major technology areas:  • NextGen short read sequencing (Illumina – MiSeq, HiSeq 2500, HiSeq 4000, NovaSeq 6000) • Third-generation long-read sequencing and genomic mapping (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, BioNano Saphyr, 10x Genomics Chromium, HTG Edge) • Single-cell genomics, single molecule mutation detection • Affymetrix Microarrays • Illumina bead array genotyping • RNAi screening for functional validation • Bioinformatics, data analysis and interpretation

The mission of the UNC Microbiome Core is to provide the research community with the facilities and expertise to characterize complex microbial communities and microbial interactions. The Core has state of the art instrumentation and extensively trained personnel that provide support from experimental design to data analysis. In addition to the services noted, the lab offers human bacterial isolates for mechanistic and interventional studies and microbiome metabolomics services.

NCore implements the mission of accelerating translation of new nanomedicines into clinic by providing comprehensive physical-chemical characterization of nanoscale entities. We offers researchers an opportunity for in-depth characterization of nanomaterials and carrier-mediated agents including: size, polydispersity, size distribution, count number of particles, chemical composition, isotope analysis, molar mass (Mw), purity, charge heterogeneity, and glycan analysis, PK and biodistribution studies, drug loading and drug release studies, exosomes characterization, etc.

The Protein Expression and Purification (PEP) core (part of the UNC Center for Structural Biology) specializes in the production of pure, functional proteins for structural, biophysical, and biochemical studies.

The Proteomics Core facility provides services for the analysis of proteins from tissues, cells or other biological samples. We are available to the UNC community, as well as external customers worldwide. We are committed to educating students and researchers in the field of proteomics and will work with you from initial experimental design through publication.

We offer an array of sample preparation and instrumentation services, as well as method development and in-depth consultation to help researchers optimize their experimental design. The facility is equipped with four state-of-the-art systems: Thermo QExactive HF, Thermo QExactive HF Biopharma, Thermo Fusion Lumos Tribrid and Thermo Exploris480. In addition to the mass spectrometers, we have one Thermo Ultimate3000, three Thermo Easy nLC 1200s and a 908 Devices ZipChip capillary electrophoresis device for up-front separation. We have an Agilent 1260 Infinity II HPLC for offline peptide fractionation. We offer several services including: protein identification, protein characterization, post-translational modification (PTM) profiling (for example: phosphoproteomics, acetylomics), large-scale proteomic profiling, intact mass analysis, and protein-protein interaction analyses. We can perform these services quantitatively using labeled (TMT10plex/16plex/18plex) or label-free approaches (DDA or DIA). Comprehensive data analysis is provided through a variety of database search engines and software packages. We also aid in bioinformatics analysis and generating publication-quality figures.

The Vector Core at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Vector Core) operates as a full-service viral vector production organization. We have extensive experience in manufacturing of research grade vectors for academic, government, foundation, and biotech industry clients.

The UNCW-Crest Research Campus Spectroscopy Facility provides access to state-of-the-art NMR and MS instrumentation. Our core contains a 500- and 600-MHz NMR spectrometer along with multiple high- and low-resolution mass spectrometers. Access is preferentially given to UNCW students and staff with metered use provided for industrial partners.