Shared research facilities

Omics

State of the art facilities to enable transcriptomics, metabolomics, steroidomics and other analyses of signalling pathways and secreted factors.

Host and tumour profiling unit (HTPU): microarray services

Based in: Institute of Genetics & Cancer (IGC)

Facility manager/ lead contactAlison Munro and Kenneth Macleod

This service provides protein, antibody and transcriptomic microarray facilities for the analysis of complex signalling pathways and secreted factors across multiple pre-clinical and clinical sample types:

  • NanoString nCounter - highly sensitive profiling of hundreds of mRNAs, microRNAs, SNVs, CNVs or protein using colour-coded molecular barcodes to provide a digital count of target molecules. Optimised for difficult sample types including FFPE, tissue and lysate samples.
  • Reverse phase protein arrays (RPPA) - a sensitive antibody based proteomic approach enabling simultaneous quantification of multiple proteins and post-translational modifications. Our portfolio of antibodies covers key cancer survival, cell cycle and canonical signalling pathways that can be used to profile multiple pathway responses.
  • Forward phase antibody microarrays (cytokine arrays) - utilises well-validated capture/detection antibody pairs for the relative quantification of secreted factors associated with inflammation and angiogenesis i.e chemokines/cytokine/adipokines.

These facilities are available to all University staff, and to external groups through funded collaboration or fee-for-service contract. The NanoString service obtained ACCORD Accreditation in 2021 and can analyse locally sponsored clinical trial samples.

HTPU Microarray Services website 

Single-cell multi-omics

Based in: Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CRM)

Facility manager/ lead contactDr Andrea Corsinotti

The facility is equipped with a 10x genomics chromium controller that allows us to generate single cell genomic and transcriptomic data (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, etc.) from up to 10,000 cells and from multiple samples in parallel, and can offer a fully supported sample preparation service: from cells to libraries that includes QC, quantification and lab consumables.

Single-cell multi-omics facility website

Mass spectrometry for metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics and steroidomics 

Untargeted analysis using dedicated pipelines, high resolution mass spectrometry and data interpretation enable metabolomic, lipidomic and proteomic discoveries. 

  • Metabolomics, proteomics and lipidomics are carried out at the IGC facility, led by Dr Alex von Kriegsheim.

Institute for Genetics and Cancer Mass Spectrometry Facility

  • Steroid profiling using targeted or untargeted analysis in clinical and preclinical studies for Steroidomics: Queen's Medical Research Institute (QMRI) Mass Spectrometry Facility in the Centre for Cardiovascular Science (CVS), led by Dr Natalie Homer.

QMRI Mass Spectrometry Facility in CVS

  • Proteomics and metabolomics: Roslin Mass Spectrometry Facility with Dr Dominic Kurian.

Roslin Mass Spectrometry Facility 

 

Genomics at Edinburgh

Genomics at Edinburgh is a network and hub for all genomics research at the University, with a comprehensive website showcasing all genomics research and  related facilities across campuses.

Genomics at Edinburgh website