Technology platforms
World-class technology platforms supporting our research.
Centre Optical Instrumentation Laboratory
The Centre Optical Instrumentation Laboratory (COIL) staff provide technical support for a wide range of imaging technologies and image analysis software. As well as user training the facility staff are able to help with experimental design and provide image analysis advice. Bespoke ImageJ plugins for analysis pipelines or to extend the functionality of ImageJ are written on request.
Researchers have access to both laser scanning and spinning disk confocals, a TIRF microscope, several widefield microscopes and a flow cytometer. All microscopes have environmental chambers to maintain temperature and CO2 for live cell imaging. The equipment is bookable online from a central booking site.
Cryo-Electron Microscopy Platform
The CryoEM facility offers electron microscopy support and training for analysing a variety of biological samples. We are primarily focussed on single-particle approaches but are also interested in electron diffraction and electron-tomography techniques.
Our 200 kV Tecnai F20 microscope has been recently upgraded with a direct electron detector. We have also installed an automated data collection system, complete with online processing pipeline. This allows the microscope to be used both for sample screening prior to submission to external high-end facilities such as eBIC, as well as in-house data collection.
We have equipment for roomtemperature and cryogenic sample preparation including a vitrification robot and work closely with the SBS EM facility to accommodate a wide range of sample types.
Edinburgh Protein Production Platform
Rapid solutions to the production of proteins and the biophysical characterisation of their ligands underpins many of the questions in structural, translational and cell biology today.
Located in labs in the Michael Swann Building, The Wellcome Trust, and University of Edinburgh funded Protein Production Facility (EPPF) provides researchers with access to state-of-the-art equipment and excellent end user core facilities to address these questions.
The facility is operated by a team of three highly skilled experimentalists who not only ensure that the equipment is well maintained, but also provide training, project advice and will help design and implement your experiments to obtain the best possible results from the equipment.
Bioinformatics Core Platform
The bioinformatics core facility supports research by providing data analysis expertise and high performance compute infrastructure. We collaborate on research projects from inception through to publication, by offering advice on experimental design, managing large amounts of data and performing computational analysis. We have a large focus on high throughput sequencing experiments, including ChIP-seq, HiC, RNA-seq and long read sequencing, and we develop workflows, visualisations and interactive applications for the processing and interrogation of these datasets. The core facility takes a lead role in encouraging researchers to develop their own skills in bioinformatics by offering regular training courses and networking events as well as promoting the tenets of reproducible research.
Proteomics Platform
In our Proteomics Facility we use a wide range of techniques to address important biological questions. We are equipped with four state-of-the-art mass spectrometers, which are employed to accurately identify, quantify, provide structural information and demonstrate interactions of proteins even in the most complex biological samples. We are currently moving into large scale high throughput proteomic analyses.
We provide in-person training to the researchers on proteomic applications (experimental design, sample preparation and data analysis) and we offer an annual proteomics course on applications, experimental approaches and data interpretation.
Proteomics Facility Manager
Media Prep
The Media Prep and Wash Up provide the Wellcome Centre with high volumes of Buffers, Growth Media, Agar plates and Fly food. They collect glassware and equipment daily, for washing, sterilization and reuse as well as safely decontaminating lab waste. The team provide many hundreds of litres of Media, Agars and Buffers per week and over 35,000 fly vials per year. Despite the demanding workload the team are keen to promote and improve sustainability and have been working closely with the labs to tackle single use plastic waste and various other environmental issues.