School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
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Molecular Biosciences Research Equipment Facility

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This facility houses a range of general equipment available to researchers and students working in the areas of molecular biology and protein analysis.

Locations

Equipment and instruments are primarily housed in the Molecular Biosciences Building (Building 76), Room 409.

Room numbers are listed against any equipment that is located elsewhere.

Charges and considerations

We charge a fee to use some equipment.

UQ users have priority of access.

You'll need to undertake the relevant building and other inductions before using equipment. 

Contact us

For more information, including details about charges and bookings, contact one of our scientific officers:

Live cell imaging and microscopes

  • Nikon Ti2 Motorised inverted Microscope with environmental control (76-409A)
  • Nikon Ts2 Inverted bright-field (phase contrast) with imaging system (76-409A)

Related links

Cellular and subcellular imaging

Gel, membrane and plate-imaging systems

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).

Multiwell plate readers

  • 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)

Spectrophotometers

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

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

HPLC and FPLC systems

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.

Protein technology systems

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

Proteomic systems

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.

Centrifugal vacuum concentrators and freeze-drying systems

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, 35oC–80oC
  • 250 x g (max)
  • <2 mbar vacuum
  • 1L vapour trap refrigerated up to -20oC
  • 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, 30oC–80oC
  • 2L vapour trap refrigerated up to -50oC
  • 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 -50oC
  • 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 -52oC–55oC
  • maximum condenser capacity 3L
  • vacuum up to <20 mTorr (<0.026 mbar).

Centrifuges

Beckman Avanti HP J-26 XPI centrifuges

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

Features include:

  • operational temperature from -10 oC–40oC
  • maximum capacity 6L
  • speed range up to 26,000rpm.

Rotors

Rotor Volume Maximum rpm
FiberLight F10BCl 6 x 500ml 10,000
JA-25.50 with biosafety lid 8 x 50ml 25,000
JA-20 8 x 50ml 20,000
JLA-16.250 with biosafety lid 6 x 250ml 16,000
JA-14 6 x 250ml 14,000
JA-12 with biosafety lid 12 x 50ml 12,000
JJLA-8.1000 6 x 1L 8,000

Beckman Optima L-100XP ultracentrifuge

Features include:

  • operational temperature from 0oC–40oC
  • speed range up to 100,000 rpm/802,400 x g
  • 10 acceleration/11 deceleration programs
  • automatic rotor identification.

Rotors

Rotor Volume Maximum speed
SW 32 Ti, swinging bucket 6 x 38.5 ml 175,000 x g, k-factor=204
SW 41 Ti, swinging bucket 6 x 13.2ml 288,000 x g, k-factor=124
SW 60 Ti, swinging bucket 6 x 4ml 60,000 rpm, k-factor=45
50.2 Ti, fixed angle 12 x 39ml 302,000 x g, k-factor=25
90 Ti, fixed angle 8 x 13.5ml 694,000 x g, k-factor=25
45 Ti, fixed angle 6 x 94ml 235,000 x g, k-factor=133

Beckman Optima Max-XP benchtop ultracentrifuge

Features include:

  • operational temperature from 0oC–40oC
  • speed range up to 100,000 rpm / 657,000 x g
  • 10 acceleration/deceleration programs
  • sample volume 0.2ml-5.1ml per tub.

Rotors

Rotor Volume Maximum speed
TLA 120.2, fixed angle 10 x 1ml (open) or 2ml (quick-seal) 627,000 x g, k-factor=8
TLA 100.3, fixed angle 6 x 3.5ml max 541,000 x g, k-factor=14
TLS 55, swinging bucket 4 x 2.2ml 259,000 x g, k-factor=50

Agilent bioanalyser

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