Molecular Biosciences Research Equipment Facility

We house several scanners and imagers that are suitable for scanning gels, blots and microtitre plates.

You can use:

• GE Ai600 Imager (chemiluminescence, RGB LED fluorescence, UV, light)
• Odyssey Classic Infra-Red laser Imager (700nm and 800nm lasers)
• Odyssey CLx infra-Red laser Imager (700nm and 800nm lasers)
• Typhoon Variable Mode Laser Scanner (Phospho-storage, chemiluminescence and fluorescence)
• Typhoon FLA7000 (dedicated phosphor imager) (Room 76-542).

• SpectraMAX 190: 96 well plate reader
• SpectraMAX 250: 96 well plate reader (Room 76-419)
• CLARIOstar Multimode plate reader (two units available) with environmental control: luminescence, monochromatic based fluorescence and absorbance
• Cytofluor fluorescence plate reader (Room 76-419)

• Nanodrop One for 1ul to 2ul volumes
• Pharmacia single cuvette 

Both are suitable for measurement of DNA, RNA and protein.

We house several fractionation systems for fractionation and purification of samples (proteins, peptides and other molecules).

Our instruments include:

• Shimadzu Prominence HPLC: analytical HPLC system with both UV and fluorescent detectors; a fraction collector, column oven and large-capacity auto-sampler
• Agilent 1100/1200 HPLC: capillary scale HPLC system with UV detector, and fraction collector
• AKTA Pure and AKTA fplc: low-pressure chromatography systems for the purification of proteins at the preparative scale.

You'll need to supply columns and buffers.

We house several instruments for molecular interactions (eg protein-protein, protein-ligand etc), including:

• Biacore 3000 Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor
• Nano-ITC Microcalorimeter.

Once a staple in proteomics, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis has been largely superseded by gel-free approaches to separating proteins.

We offer these two-dimensional gel systems for set-up on request:

• IPGphor Iso-electric focussing unit (7, 13 and 24 cm IEF strips)
• Ettan Dalt II 2nd dimension electrophoresis system and gel caster (24cm)
• Progenesis SameSpots software license for single- and multi-stained gels.

Thermo Savant SPD111V

A small- to medium-capacity centrifugal vacuum concentrator for non-aggressive aqueous and organic solvents.

Features include:

• auto/manual runs with working temperature range ambient, 35^oC–80^oC
• 250 x g (max)
• <2 mbar vacuum
• 1L vapour trap refrigerated up to -20^oC
• two interchangeable rotors: the first for up to 144 microcentrifuge tubes (1.5ml), and the second for two deep-well multiwall plates
• compatible with non-corrosive/non-aggressive aqueous solutions (maximum acid concentration is 1%) and solvents such as methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile and ethyl acetate.

SP Scientific MiVac Quattro

A medium-capacity centrifugal vacuum concentrator for non-aggressive aqueous and organic solvents.

Features include:

• auto/manual runs with working temperature range: ambient, 30^oC–80^oC
• 2L vapour trap refrigerated up to -50^oC
• two interchangeable rotors: for up to 200 microcentrifuge tubes (1.5ml) and four deep-well/normal multiwall plates
• compatible with non-corrosive/non-aggressive aqueous solutions, methanol, ethanol and acetonitrile.  

Thermo Savant Micro Modulyo

An ice condenser freeze suitable for freeze-drying biological research materials and preparations.

Note: we only allow neutral aqueous solutions – you can't use organic solvents.

Features include:

• operational temperature approximately -50^oC
• maximum condenser capacity 1L
• vacuum up to 0.05mbar (38 mTorr).

VirTis BenchTopPro

An ice condenser freeze suitable for freeze-drying biological research materials and preparations in PC2-environment. 

Note: we only allow neutral aqueous solutions – you can't use organic solvents.

Features include:

• operational temperature -52^oC–55^oC
• maximum condenser capacity 3L
• vacuum up to <20 mTorr (<0.026 mbar).

Beckman Avanti high performance preparative centrifuges

Three multipurpose, high-speed centrifuges are located on levels 1, 4 and 5 of Building 76.

Features include:

• operational temperature from -10 ^oC to +40^oC
• speed range up to 26,000rpm.

Rotors

* only with Corning/Falcon conical bottom 50 ml tubes

Beckman Optima series ultracentrifuges

Two preparative ultra-centrifuges are located on levels 1 and 5 of Building 76.

Features include:

• operational temperature from 0^oC to +40^oC
• speed range up to 100,000 rpm/694,000 x g
• 10 acceleration/11 deceleration programs
• automatic rotor identification.

Rotors

Beckman Optima Max benchtop ultracentrifuges

Two preparative bench top ultracentrifuges are located on levels 1 and 4 of Building 76.

Features include:

• operational temperature from 0^oC to +40^oC
• speed range up to 100,000 rpm / 627,000 x g
• 10 acceleration/deceleration programs
• sample volume 0.5ml-5.1ml per tube.

Rotors

You can use our agilent bioanalyser for RNA and DNA spectral imaging.