Spatial Biology Seminar hosted by the Pathology Services Core
2025-07-15 11:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
We are excited to invite you to an upcoming seminar hosted by the UNC Pathology Services Core (PSC), highlighting cutting-edge advancements in spatial transcriptomics and in situ gene expression profiling.

Join us as we explore the powerful capabilities of 10x Genomics’ Visium Spatial and Xenium In Situ platforms—technologies that are transforming how we understand tissue architecture and cellular function.
🍽 Lunch will be provided.

Featured Speaker:
🔹 Dr. Kathryn Gessner – UNC Research Assistant Professor, Lineberger Cancer Center
Presenting Xenium spatial data generated right here at UNC.
🔹Poster presentations showcasing research from UNC colleagues
You’ll also have the chance to engage with experts from 10x Genomics and learn how these platforms can enhance your research by providing unparalleled resolution and spatial context.

💬 One-on-one Consultations Available!
Consultations with the PSC will be available from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on the day of the event.
Book your consultation today to discuss your project needs and learn how we can support your spatial biology workflows.
Can’t make that time? No problem—consultations are also available by appointment year-round.

🔗 Register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GAq7R3FJxCDpP1BIn6c-9_SGRHjBYDoFtedMXs6V_NQ/viewform?ts=684c343f&edit_requested=true
(Or QR code in attached Flyer)

For questions, feel free to reach out to:
📩 PSC at gdelacruz@med.unc.edu

Agenda
11am: PSC, UNC-CH
11:10am: Ryan Mote, 10x-Genomics
12:00pm: Kate Gessner, UNC-CH
12:30 pm: Kaleb Naegeli, Humacyte
12:50pm: BARC, UNC-CH

We hope to see you there!

Applications Due for UNC Research Week Core Technology Talks
2025-08-01 08:00 - 17:00
If you are are a core director or core staff scientist interested in presenting a talk during this opportunity to showcase new core technologies, methods, and services please complete the following application to present on or before August 1, 2025:

https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_es9Vev3tVm05NVs

As a reminder, these talks should present original data collected in the core facility to highlight . This data may have been collected in collaboration with a UNC researcher, who may also be a co-presenter.

Eligible topics are:
– new instrumentation, services, technologies, methodologies, etc. that have been onboarded into the core on or after July 1, 2024
– Technologies and instrumentation acquired or made possible through ANY state or federal instrumentation grant programs (no time restriction on date of award)

Application Due Date: August 1, 2025

Applications will be reviewed in early August and acceptances will be announced by August 15, 2025.

We are still determining a date and time for the Technology Talks and may split them into multiple days based on interest

Thank you! We look forward to hosting a great event to showcase our core facilities!

Seminar: AI-Driven Approaches to Validate NAMs and Reduce Animal Dependency in Biomedical Research
2025-08-13 10:00 - 11:00
This session will go into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence and computational modeling on biomedical science. Dr. Melissa Haendel, a prominent figure in biomedical data science and translational informatics, will discuss how AI-driven models are advancing human-relevant systems such as organoids, iPSCs, and digital twins. This webinar will emphasize the vital role of AI in validating NAMs and minimizing the necessity for traditional animal models. Registration is required to attend.
Register at: http://go.unc.edu/nam-zoom

MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Workshop hosted by UNC Chemistry Core Facilities
2025-09-09 09:00 - 15:00
The workshop’s goal is to raise awareness about the Bruker UltrafleXtreme MALDI-TOF MS available at the UNC Mass Spectrometry Core Lab for open instrument access and sample submissions. Additionally, we plan to provide MALDI-TOF users with useful knowledge and skills to help them succeed in their analyses.
This workshop, conducted in partnership with Bruker Daltonics and UNC Mass Spectrometry (MSCL) and Soft Matter (UNCSMCL) core labs, centers on the practical utilization of MALDI-TOF MS for precise mass measurement of small to macromolecular analytes that include many soft materials. Tailored for both current and prospective MALDI-TOF MS users, the event highlights optimization strategies and practical applications while promoting collaboration within the scientific community.
Attendees can participate in this event either in person or virtually. Space is limited for in-person attendance, so be sure to register now. For those attending the in-person presentations, join us for a light lunch where you may engage in open conversation with Bruker representatives, UNC core lab directors, and other scientists. There will also be a limited in-person sample preparation and instrument operation demonstration after lunch for invited current and prospective UNC MALDI-TOF users.

Visit the event webpage for a full schedule and registration information.

CFAC Fall RFA Submissions Due
2025-09-12
The Core Facilities Advocacy Committee (CFAC) Fall RFA funding mechanism applications are due today. Please refer to the website: https://www.med.unc.edu/corefacilities/fall–rfa/

All applications must be submitted using our online forms, which are linked on both the word documents and the website. To assist you in planning the submission, word document submission templates are attached so that your answers may be easily copied and pasted into the online submission form.

Additionally, all cores must have an active CFAC core survey on file.

Submissions are due September 12th at 11:59 PM.

UNC SOM Core Voucher Program Applications Due
2025-09-22 08:00 - 17:00
The voucher program is intended for UNC researchers with a primary or joint appointment to the UNC School of Medicine and their trainees to apply for up to $10,000 in funding to be spent at one or more SOM core facilities which invoice for services. This is specifically intended for NEW method development or PILOT DATA for currently unfunded projects that ALSO meets one of the following criteria:

Establishes the applicant as a new customer of at least one core facility
Creates a multi-core pipeline
Allows a customer of a core facility to use a new technique or methodology within a core they have previously used in other capacities (this is at the discretion of the core director)
Applicant has been impacted by a recent grant termination (last 6 months) or a programmatic change at the NIH or other federal agencies, and is collecting pilot data to target new federal funding opportunities or new internal collaborations (see special note in Application Instructions)

Applicants (who may be PIs or trainees) will be required to meet with and have the written approval of the core directors for core facilities they intend to use at the time of submission and must plan to fully spend out their funds by June 30, 2026. Carry-over of funds is not guaranteed, and applicants should be aware that the technical feasibility to complete the study within the proposed timeframe will be an important factor in award decisions.

Cores which can be used are limited to those administered by the School of Medicine or who serve a majority-SOM customer base. To request an eligibility review of a non-SOM core, please e-mail kara_clissold@med.unc.edu.

Please find the full RFA and list of eligible cores attached and all information, including necessary documentation, a submission form template to aid in organizing the application, core director/applicant signature forms, and submission instructions, can be found on the ORT/CFAC Voucher Program‘s Website: https://www.med.unc.edu/corefacilities/core–voucher–program/

Applications for the Voucher Program are now open for submission and will be due September 22, 2025 at 11:59 pm

Please direct any questions about this program to Kara Clissold in the SOM Office of Research Technologies at kara_clissold@med.unc.edu

Leica Laser Microdissection and Laser Microcapture Demo Workshop
2025-10-06 08:00 - 2025-10-09 17:00

Thermo Fisher Mass Spectrometry Symposium
2025-10-10 09:00 - 15:00
The UNC Michael Hooker Metabolomics and Proteomics Core is hosting the 2025 UNC Thermo Fisher Mass Spectrometry Symposium.

Applications for Lightning Talks are accepted through September 1st.

For more information and to apply for a Lightning Talk please visit the event website.

Core Facility Technology Talks
2025-10-20 13:00 - 16:00 | Mary Ellen Jones 3112
From multi-omics technologies to cutting-edge tools for biomarker discovery such as Olink and clinical proteomics, specimen collection, data analysis, and mixed-method evaluation, UNC Chapel Hill core facilities have some new services and instrumentation ready to support your research.
Core Facility Technology Talks
Monday October 20, 2025 | 1 – 4 PM
Virtual and in person attendance available!
Virtual Registration for Webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fw4h3C41TwWHdj4zt5jVzg#/registration
In-Person Location: Mary Ellen Jones 3112
Join us for an engaging session where you can hear directly from the directors and staff of 12 core facilities:

Screening Live Cancer Explants Core
Microbiome Core
Biomarker Mass Spectrometry Core
BioSpecimen Processing Facility
High-Throughput Sequencing Facility
Abacus Evaluation
Respiratory TRACTS Core
Structural Bioinformatics Core
Metabolomics and Proteomics Core
Neuroscience Microscopy Core
Pathology Services Core
Clinical Genome Analysis Core

Core Staff Recognition Awards Open for Nomination
2025-11-01 08:00 - 17:00
The Office of Research Technologies is excited to announce the Core Facility Staff Recognition Program is open for nominations. These awards recognize the value and importance of the staff in our biomedical research core facilities. This program will offer up to three awards acknowledging the efforts and contributions of SHRA and EHRA non-faculty staff members in the biomedical research cores at UNC. One award may be given in each of three categories:

Technical Achievement
Customer Service
Performance Excellence

Specific criteria and examples for each of these awards can be found on the website.

Anyone can nominate a staff member for the award (no self-nominations, though) so please forward the award announcement to other core facility stakeholders, customers or other lab members who may wish to nominate a staff member!
Nominees and nominators can be from any of the Schools at UNC. Nominations are open through November 30, 2025 with winners announced in December. If you have any questions after reading the criteria on our website please contact the Office of Research Technologies at corefacilities@med.unc.edu
Each winner will receive $1,000 (pre-tax) and a feature on the Office of Research Technologies website.

Website link: https://www.med.unc.edu/corefacilities/core-facilities-staff-recognition-program

We look forward to your nominations!

UNC Spatial Biology and Single Cell Symposium
2025-11-12 10:00 - 15:00 | G-202 MBRB
University of North Carolina researchers are invited to join Bruker Spatial Biology and the Pathology Services Core for an exciting and engaging afternoon filled with scientific innovation. Throughout the summit various single-cell experts will share best practices, real world experiences, and their enthusiasm for what’s to come in single-cell research! We invite you to stay for the whole event or join us for the session that best fits your research questions.

New to single-cell research? Single-cell research is a cutting-edge field in spatial biology that focuses on studying individual cells rather than bulk populations. This approach allows scientists to uncover cellular diversity, understand complex biological systems, and identify rare cell types that would otherwise be masked in averaged data. Cells are a fundamental unit of life. A comprehensive understanding of how cells organize themselves in different layers of information to form tissues is not yet fully achieved. Further, no matter how seemingly homogeneous a tissue might appear, it contains a diverse population of cells, all of which represent different manifestations of that tissue type.

Time

Title

Speaker

10:00 – 10:30AM

Check In & Introduction

10:30 – 11:00AM

Breaking the Spatial Whole Transcriptome Multiomic Ceiling with Unmatched Protein Discovery

Martin Shelton, PhD, Associate Director, Product Management, Bruker Spatial Biology

11:00 – 11:30AM

Biomarker Discovery and Validation Using CellScape Precise Spatial Proteomics

Jeff Stone, Spatial Account Manager, Bruker Spatial Biology & Gavin Gordon, PhD, VP of Market Development, Bruker Spatial Biology

11:30AM – 12:15PM

Grab Lunch!

12:15 – 12:45PM

Spatial Immunoprofiling of Invasive Breast Cancers

Alyssa J. Cozzo, MD, PhD, University of North Carolina

12:45 – 1:15PM

Glands in Space; Utilizing Spatial Technologies to Investigate Endometrial Cancer Signaling

Andrew Gladden, PhD

1:15 – 1:30

A survey of AAC Single Cell Services

Carlton Anderson

1:30 – 2:30

Revolutionizing Immune Cell Therapy with Functional Single-Cell Analysis

Chad Walesky, PhD, Scientific Liaison & Edward Han, PhD, Director, Product Management, Bruker Cellular Analysis

2:30 – 2:50

Levitation technology: a pathway towards preclinical targets and translational discoveries

Jason McKinney, PhD, Levitas Bio

Core Staff Recognition Awards Nominations Due
2025-11-30

Core Social Event and Director's Meeting
2025-12-03 13:30 - 16:00 | BioInformatics Building Room 1131
Join us Wednesday December 3, 2025 from 1:30 – 2:30 for a Social Hour and Potluck in the Bioinformatics Lobby and (weather pending) back patio. Come catch up with your fellow core directors, meet new core staff, and celebrate the end of 2025!

If you choose to participate in the potluck, please ensure any food has ingredient labels. Thank you!

Stay from 2:30 to 4:00 pm for a Core Director’s Meeting in Bioinformatics 1131.

Unable to join us in person? Register for a zoom link for the meeting portion of this event:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/zyvC0BheQHyCFanThbbJYw

We look forward to seeing you!

Core Director's Meeting
2025-12-03 14:00 - 16:00 | BioInformatics Building Room 1131
Join us for a core director’s meeting and social event with a potluck snack/dessert!

We hope you’ll join us to celebrate the end of 2025 and hear some important updates for core facilities from the OVCR Research Core Development team and the Office of Research Technologies.
Please bring a dessert or snack to share ahead of the event! Weather permitting, we have reserved the outside patio at Bioinformatics for extra space. Ensure any food has a label including ingredients/potential allergens.

ABRF Operations Management Software Discussion
2026-01-06 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-03 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-03 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-07 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-05 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-02 16:00 - 17:00
ABRF Lab Operations Management Software Discussion

4:00 – 5:00 pm ET
Register here

Join us for the monthly ABRF Lab Operations Management Software Discussion, a recurring forum held on the first Tuesday of each month, bringing together lab operations professionals to explore software tools and best practices. Join us in January for our next topic:

Using Forms to Automate SRR Workflows- 2 case studies:
1. Roxann Ashworth with Johns Hopkins University will present on how forms and related questions automate invoicing and support downstream needs for efficiency.
2. Aaron Larson with Seattle Children’s Research Institute will review how PowerBI automations improve internal workflows and downstream advanced data analytics.

Following a brief recap of these updates, the session will open up for Q&A and discussion, giving attendees the opportunity to share feedback, ask questions, and connect with peers.

Don’t miss this chance to stay informed and engaged with the latest in lab operations software.

Mass Spectrometry Seminar hosted by the Metabolomics and Proteomics Core
2026-01-12 11:30 - 12:30
Monday, January 12th | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | 3116 Mary Ellen Jones
Speaker: Dr. Laura Jacox (Assistant Professor for Research in Orthodontics; Depts of Biomedical Sciences and Orthodontics) and her student Kasey Linton.

Talk title: Multi-Omics Signatures of Long COVID in Saliva during Early SARS-CoV-2 Infection.
Pizza will be provided! Sponsored by the Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC).

Please register to attend!

ABRF: Publish Like a Pro, Strategies for Writing a Technical Paper
2026-01-15 12:00 - 13:00
Publish Like a Pro: Strategies for Writing a Technical Paper
Guide to Writing a Technical Scientific Paper: How to get started and what is involved

January 15, 2026
12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
Register here

Are you interested in publishing your work, including the methods and techniques used in your shared resource/facility, but don’t know where to start or where to get help?

Could you benefit from expert assistance to advance your ideas to a final publication?

Join us in January for this valuable session to learn more about how to raise your profile and advance your career by publishing in ABRF’s Journal of Biomolecular Techniques (JBT).

Preliminary Agenda and takeaways: A scientific paper is a structured argument based on evidence, designed to contribute new knowledge and advancement to a field. A well-organized manuscript facilitates understanding, evaluation, and potential replication by peer reviewers and subsequent researchers, engaging them through a logical narrative from the research question and methodology to the findings and their significance. Publishing serves to disseminate knowledge and establish expertise, connects individuals with peers in their field, and fosters collaboration and professional development. This webinar will address the following topics:

What is needed (data) to publish
The key components of a scientific paper and what information to include in each
How to start writing
Selecting a target journal (each reflects content based on its readership)
General Writing Principles

For more than 25 years, JBT has offered ABRF members the opportunity to share their work with the broader research community, without page charges or color charges. All JBT content is indexed and referenced in PubMed Central, providing wider visibility and citations for your valuable research.

Applications for CFAC Core Travel Awards Due
2026-01-31 08:00 - 17:00
Travel Award Details
Applications are open through January 31, 2026, with funding decisions expected within the first week of February. These grants are available to core directors and staff for conference travel occurring through July 2026.
We strongly encourage those interested in attending the Association for Biomedical Resource Facilities (ABRF) annual meeting on March 28-31 to apply. This conference offers high-value opportunities for our community, including:

Pre-Meeting Workshops: Focused on Lean Management, Data Analysis/Visualization, and Nextflow for bioinformatics.

Core Management & Technology Sessions: Daily agendas tailored to both leadership and technical specialties and “mini workshops” hosted throughout the meeting

Networking: Poster sessions, lightning talks, and opportunities to connect with the broader core community.

Register for ABRF 2026 and check out the full schedule here: ABRF Annual Meeting Registration

Relational Leadership Institute Training
We are also continuing our partnership with the Relational Leadership Institute. Through the Travel Award program, we are offering a select number of core directors and managers the opportunity to attend spring or early summer training sessions at no cost.
These sessions are held in person. We ask that you review the program dates and apply only if you are confident you can attend the full schedule. If you are interested but unsure if this training is the right fit, please reach out. Several of your peers participated in a pilot of this program last year and this past fall and can offer perspective on the value it provided.
How to Apply
For full application instructions and program details, please visit the official program page:
CFAC Travel Award Program Website

CFAC Spring RFA Applications Due
2026-02-20
The Core Facilities Advocacy Committee (CFAC) is excited to announce the opening of the Spring 2026 RFA for core facilities. Please read all the information below.

This request can be used for general core needs, equipment requests, and method development requests. Please visit the Spring RFA website and see below for details.

CFAC encourages submissions of requests of around $30,000 or less. Additionally, equipment requests that can be purchased and installed quickly (<6 weeks) will be prioritized to ensure funds are spent by the end of the fiscal year when necessary.

CFAC requests that core directors who intend to submit an NIH S10 Shared Instrumentation Grant or High End Instrumentation Grant later this year and who plan to request matching funds from CFAC should submit a request for matching funds during this RFA cycle.

Applications are due: February 20, 2026 at 11:59 pm

Important Information

Decisions regarding matching fund requests for the NIH S10 program will be made ahead of the internal submission deadline through the Office of Research Development. All other funding decisions will be made and announced mid-March

ORT and the OVCR Research Core Development team will identify any equipment requests that may be a good fit for requesting funding through the OVCR Equipment fund. This is identified by owning School of the core and breadth and depth of user base of the core across multiple fields, Schools, and Departments. If your application is selected, further information about applying through the OVCR portal will be provided.

If a laboratory currently obtaining services from an entity outside of a UNC Chapel Hill core facility is interested in bringing their business to an appropriate core on campus but would like to apply for funding to ensure the core facility’s protocols, equipment, and data quality meet or exceed their current vendor, the PI and the core facility can co-develop a method development application. This application can request up to 50% of the total cost of the quote from the core facility to validate the method for an appropriate number of the lab’s samples to verify data quality. For questions about eligibility please reach out to Kara Clissold at kara_clissold@med.unc.edu. Please see the attached memo for additional information. We request all core facilities to distribute the attached memo to their mailing list to reach faculty it may be applicable to.

If you request funding for equipment, please ask the vendor to indicate the lead time to delivery on the quote.

Word templates to aid in the completion of the application are provided and are on our website, but submissions must be entered through the online forms. If you are unsure which form to utilize or have questions about the submission process, please reach out to Kara Clissold at kara_clissold@med.unc.edu.

Website link: https://www.med.unc.edu/corefacilities/spring-rfa/

Seminar Alert: NextGen Sequencing with the High-Throughput Sequencing Facility
2026-03-25 10:00 - 11:30 | GMB 1007

Launch of Carolina Microscopy
2026-04-20 14:00 - 15:30 | Roper Hall 1101
We are excited to announce the launch of Carolina Microscopy ! This single core unifies the four departmental microscopy cores — the Biology Microscopy Core (College of Arts & Sciences), the Hooker Imaging Core (Cell Biology & Physiology), Microscopy Services Laboratory Core (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine), and Neuroscience Microscopy Core (Neuroscience Center) — under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR).

This change comes after careful consideration and input from all stakeholders, reflecting a shared institutional commitment to reducing internal competition, creating operational efficiencies, and ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of our shared research infrastructure.
Each site will continue operating in its current location with existing staff and equipment, but all will move under a single administrative and financial structure. Day-to-day operations will remain under the direction of the current core directors, with Michelle Itano assuming a broader administrative role in coordination with the OVCR’s core management team. A new, unified iLab core page goes live in April and a temporary unified webpage is available while the full website is being built.

All costs, rates, and subsidy structures will be implemented by the OVCR on April 13, 2026, in compliance with institutional rate-setting policies. Please note that iLab integrates member subsidies independently from the core. For questions regarding membership, please reach out
directly to your Center Director.

Please join us for our opening launch celebration in the Roper Hall Auditorium on April 20, 2026 at 2pm. Hear about the vision for the new unified core and get inspired by some of our amazing researchers and industry and academic partners who collaborate with the core.
What does this mean for current users? By and large it will be very similar but with a different iLab page beginning in April (details to come for current users), updated rates (approved by OSP) and a unified website (under construction). The four cores already operate very similarly, so while we are taking the opportunity to optimize workflows and align core policies where appropriate, changes to users are expected to be small.
We deeply appreciate the support and partnership of the UNC research community and each department and school in this process.

Warm regards,

Meghan Kraft (Director of Research Core Facilities, OVCR)
Nat Prunet (Director of the Bio Microscopy Core)
Wendy Salmon (Director of the HIC)
Pablo Ariel (Director of the MSL)
Michelle Itano (Director of the NMC)

Staff Recognition Award Nominations Due
2026-04-30 08:00 - 17:00
The Office of Research Technologies is excited to announce the Core Facility Staff Recognition Program is open for nominations. These awards recognize the value and importance of the staff in our biomedical research core facilities. This program will offer up to three awards acknowledging the efforts and contributions of SHRA and EHRA non-faculty staff members in the biomedical research cores at UNC. One award may be given in each of three categories:

Technical Achievement
Customer Service
Performance Excellence

Specific criteria and examples for each of these awards can be found on the website.

Anyone can nominate a staff member for the award (no self-nominations, though) so please forward the award announcement to other core facility stakeholders, customers or other lab members who may wish to nominate a staff member!
Nominees and nominators can be from any of the Schools at UNC. Nominations are open through April 30, 2026, with winners announced in late May. If you have any questions after reading the criteria on our website please contact the Office of Research Technologies at corefacilities@med.unc.edu
Each winner will receive $1,000 (pre-tax) and a feature on the Office of Research Technologies website.

Website link: https://www.med.unc.edu/corefacilities/core-facilities-staff-recognition-program

We look forward to your nominations!
