The Office of Research and Partnerships (ORP) Imaging Cores - Optical facility is a scientific core facility with two locations (Marley, Life Sciences North) dedicated to the acquisition of images for research, industrial and clinical applications. We offer multi-user access to high quality state-of-the-art optical microscopy technologies and cost-effective analytical services.

The Marley location features an inverted point scanning confocal microscope, an upright confocal/multiphoton microscope with superresolution capabilities, a fluorescence stereo microscope and a research quality microwave. The staff member at this location is Ved Prakash.

The Life Sciences North location features a dedicated superresolution fluoresence microscope (structured illumination, SIM), an inverted multifunction widefield microscope (color brightfield, polarized light, fluorescence), a second inverted multifunction widefield microscope (color brightfield, polarized light, fluorescence, confocal-like imaging with Zeiss Apotome) and an image analysis workstation. The Assistant Director for the facility is at this location, Doug Cromey.

If you need EM, please see our colleagues at the University of Arizona's Imaging Cores - Electron.

AZGC provides a wide range of molecular biotechnology services and current molecular genetic methods. Fee-per-use services such as DNA and RNA Extraction, transgenic mouse genotyping, Human Cell line Authentication, Sanger DNA Sequencing, Next-Generation sequencing platforms, Microsatellite DNA Typing, Real-time PCR, NanoString Gene Expression Analysis, and many others are available at a low cost to the entire research community. We specialize in custom workflows that couple our services with your specific research needs.

The Imaging Cores - Electron provides access and advanced expertise in life sciences Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) related research, from consultation to imaging, data analysis and training, delivered to internal users on campus, and external institutions and private sector.

Flow Cytometry
Our state-of-the-art flow cytometry instrumentation is available for data acquisition, analysis, and cell sorting, and the technical expertise to interpret results, and develop methods. We offer information about new techniques, and applications of flow cytometry through workshops and seminars, and provide training to interested facility users who wish to run their own samples. Individual consultation services are available to discuss the specifics of each project.

Flow cytometry is a powerful tool that measures the functional and structural characteristics of heterogeneous mixtures of cells and particles in suspension based on their ability to scatter light. The cell sorting function separates these cells physically into their different classes. Researchers have the capability to analyze and sort cells by differences in physiology, metabolism, morphology and other characteristics. The ability to distinguish different cell types is limited only by the ability to attach specific fluorescent markers to the cells.

The Flow Cytometry component is jointly supported by RII and the UACC.

Human Immune Monitoring
The Human Immune Monitoring Facility provides comprehensive immune profiling, sample preparation, and clinical trial support. Our mission is to provide technical expertise to clinical investigators and research scientists who want to characterize the immune system by offering up-to-date immune monitoring services for clinical and translational studies.

Our services include multispectral flow cytometry, metabolic analysis, blood services such as PBMC isolation and serum/plasma extraction, and a full spectrum of immunological services. We also offer custom assays upon request and will work with interested investigators to help get their projects up and running. Biobanking services are also available upon request.

We offer training, assisted, unassisted, and technician operated modalities for all our instruments and will meet investigators at their desired level of engagement. All services are available during regular business hours (M-F 8am - 4pm) with 24 hour access to select instruments arriving in the near future.

The Human Immune Monitoring component is supported by the UACC and the University of Arizona Personalized Defense Strategic Initiative.

The Arizona Molecular Clinical Core (AZClinCore) is a CLIA certified/CAP accredited laboratory specializing in high-complexity genetic and serological (ELISA) clinical testing and research. AZClinCore provides inpatient and outpatient diagnostic testing services as well as support for clinical trial and clinical research activities for physicians, researchers and industry clients. The AZClinCore has aided numerous industry and research partners in the development of novel genetic testing and clinical trial protocols as well as providing evaluations for new technology and testing platforms. The AZClinCore supports end-to-end clinical testing as well as reference lab services.

The University of Arizona Phenotyping Core (UAPC) provides a variety of services to assist researchers with phenotyping of small laboratory animals (mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits) with a focus on cardiovascular- neuromuscular-, and respiratory function, and exercise tolerance.

Services:
1. Experiments: we perform experiments (i.e., cardiovascular ultrasound, plethysmography, exercise studies), small animal surgeries (i.e., LAD-ligation, transaortic constriction), and data analysis for you.

2. Training: we help you master new equipment, small animal surgeries or data analysis.

3. Equipment rent: we offer a wide range of up-to-date equipment to measure cardiovascular-, neuromuscular-, respiratory function, and exercise tolerance.

4. Consultation: we advice you on experimental design, (physiological) data-collection, analysis, interpretation and IACUC protocols, grant- and manuscript writing.

5. Other requests? Please contact us!

A research facility for investigation of single crystal and powder/thin film samples by X-Ray diffraction techniques.

The Molecular Structures Core (MSC) enables researchers to determine the structures and dynamics, or motions, of large biomolecules such as proteins and DNA to understand how they interact with each other and with small molecules such as drugs.

The Functional Genomics Core’s mission is to provide researchers at the University of Arizona with the capacity to run high-throughput compound, RNAi, and deletion library based screens for the purpose of network analysis, drug and/or target discovery. We will work with you to develop an assay, carryout a screen and/or analyze the data. The equipment in the laboratory is also available for general (low-throughput) use.

Our facility is setup in a modular fashion to ensure flexibility. We will develop a custom pipeline to meet your research goals.

Our Biomek FX liquid handling workstation with an integrated Liconic shaker incubator (temperature, humidity, and CO2 controlled) can be used to setup and grow most cell types in 96 well plates. This robot is equipped to add RNAi constructs, drugs or other stimuli to each plate. The Biomek FX can also be used to perform high-throughput biochemical assays. Cell based assays can be carried out using either the Operetta CLS high-content analysis system or the CLARIOstar plus. Both instruments have powerful, but easy to use software for data analysis.

A research facility for studying paramagnetic centers by continuous wave and pulsed EPR techniques to obtain information on the electronic, chemical, and geometric molecular structures.

An interdisciplinary research facility in the areas of imaging, nano-science and spectroscopy for measuring surface topography, surface properties, electrical measurements, fluorescence, sub-monolayer visible spectroscopy, and molecular structures.

At the Analytical & Biological Mass Spectrometry Facility (ABMS), we have state-of-the-art equipment and unparalleled expertise for the analysis of a variety of biological and small molecules. One of our specializations includes protein-analysis encompassing: protein identification, protein and peptide sequence confirmation, intact protein molecular weight determination, complex protein sample analysis, and protein/antibody-drug interactions. In addition to proteomics, the ABMS team has developed an in-house metabolomics library (currently containing >700 compounds) to support metabolomic and lipidomics analysis, enabling the interrogation of the underlying metabolomic and lipidomics profiles. Through this proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics analysis, a greater in-depth and multi-omics profiling is achieved.

We can also identify a range of post-translational modifications (PTMs), determining their presence or absence, as well as quantitating the PTMs.

Our services are designed to assist you to answer your quantitative/qualitative proteomics and small molecule questions as well. The services include workflows for label free, chemical labeling (iTRAQ/TMT) and metabolic labeling (SILAC).

For chemists who would like to synthesize a molecule, we monitor the reaction step-by-step, calculate the percentage of product, test for its purity, and characterize the molecule with high resolution and high mass accuracy (typically better than 500 ppb [0.5 ppm] mass accuracy).

Whether you are interested in molecular weight and chemical composition determinations, structure elucidations and compound identification analysis or confirmation and accurate mass measurements of synthetic products, measurement of polymers, nucleic acids (DNA/RNA), peptides, proteins, natural products, and assistance with determination of unknowns. Or characterization of biological proteins, we look forward to supporting your research needs.

The Core is located in room 124J in the BIO5 Keating Bioresearch Building on the North Campus.

Email us with inquiries today at MassSpec@email.arizona.edu.

A full-service precision machine shop specializing in the design and construction of custom equipment for scientific research and teaching.

A full-service facility for the design and fabrication of specialized scientific glassware as well as repairs and modifications of existing glassware.

Supporting the research community through troubleshooting, repair and new designs for electronic instrumentation, equipment and experiments.

A photoelectron spectroscopy and thin-film deposition facility supporting thin-film design, growth and analysis research programs.

An interdisciplinary NMR spectroscopy research facility for structural elucidation and study of conformation and dynamics of organic compounds, peptides, oligonucleotides and other small biopolymers.