{"id":4553,"date":"2022-03-18T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/research\/core-facilities\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T12:07:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T16:07:25","slug":"core-facilities","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/pharm\/research-areas\/core-facilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Core Facilities"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Colorful<\/a>
The Protein Expression & Purification Core<\/a> is a core facility in the UNC Center for Structural Biology<\/a>, one of the research centers associated with the Department of Pharmacology. Photo by Brian Strickland.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The overall research environment at UNC-Chapel Hill is superb. Numerous sophisticated core laboratory facilities<\/a> are easily accessible and function very well, usually on a fee-for-service basis. Many of the facilities listed below are run by full-time Ph.D.-level individuals.<\/p>\n

UNC Core Laboratory Facilities<\/a>\n

Core Facilities Managed by Pharmacology<\/h2>\n

UNC Metabolomics and Proteomics (MAP) Core<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

This core provides mass spectrometry services for the analysis of proteins and metabolites from tissues, cells or other biological samples. The core is available to the UNC community, as well as external academic and industry customers worldwide. The core\u2019s staff is committed to educating students and researchers in the field of proteomics and metabolomics.<\/p>\n

The UNC Center for Structural Biology Core Facilities<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

This Center provides an integrated platform of expertise, infrastructure and education to foster a wider use of structural biology by the UNC community. The CSB combines seven core facilities and their expertise to make structural biology available as a general tool to any researcher. It is jointly managed by the Departments of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Biophysics.<\/p>\n

Two core facilities managed by Pharmacology.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Protein Expression and Purification Core<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Part of the Center for Structural Biology,<\/a><\/strong> this core, located within the Department of Pharmacology, specializes in the production of pure, functional proteins for structural, biophysical, and biochemical studies. It is specifically designed as a \u201cfront-end\u201d interface to other components of the Center for Structural Biology,<\/a><\/strong>. In addition, the services of this core are also applicable to other research areas, including antibody and antigen production and the manufacture of protein chips.<\/p>\n

UNC Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography Facility<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Part of the Center for Structural Biology,<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0this facility provides resources and training for single crystal diffraction pattern data collection and processing; the center will also assist UNC researchers not trained in X-ray crystallography in carrying out crystallographic analyses of their biological molecules, including screening for crystallization conditions with a high-throughput, 96-well, robotic crystallization workstation.<\/p>\n

Five core facilities managed by the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

UNC Biomolecular NMR Laboratory<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

This core has 600 MHz and 500 MHz NMR spectrometers available, with skilled assistance in operation and data interpretation.<\/p>\n

The R. L. Juliano Structural Bioinformatics Core Facility<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

This core, located within the Department of Pharmacology, provides Ph.D.-staffed, state-of-the-art facilities for structural analysis and modeling of macromolecules.<\/p>\n

Macromolecular Interactions Facility<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"This facility provides instrumentation sed in the characterization and quantitation of interactions among proteins, DNA, and their cognate ligands. Equipment includes an analytical ultracentrifuge, a BIAcore 2000 surface plasmon resonance biosensor, an Aminco SLM 8100 steady state fluorescence spectrophotometer, and a Jasco J-600 circular dichroism spectrometer. There is a full-time Ph.D. scientist at the facility to train users and assist in experimental design.<\/p>\n

UNC High Throughput Peptide Synthesis and Array Facility<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The UNC HTPSA Facility provides researchers with high quality services for peptide synthesis, purification, and characterization of synthetic peptides and preparation of custom designed peptide arrays.<\/p>\n

CRYO Electron Microscopy Core (Cryo EM)<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Cryo EM Core provides services and training in all aspects of cryo EM sample preparation, screening and high-resolution data collection.<\/p>\n

Other Core Facilities<\/h2>\n

Useful UNC Core Facilities for Pharmacology Research
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bioinformatics and Analytics Research Collaborative<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

This research core facility supports the use of computational tools for molecular biology, genetics, protein chemistry, and biochemistry research, and offers in-depth workshops on DNA, RNA, and protein sequence analysis, database searching, and genome-wide predictions.<\/p>\n

RNAi Screening Facility (HTS)<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

This core, located in the Department of Pharmacology, provides the technology for the UNC scientific community to perform cell based screens to define the contribution of each gene in the human genome to specific phenotypes. RNAi mediated inhibition of gene expression is a powerful method for identifying genes and their cognate phenotype, whose loss of expression alters the cell phenotype. The RNAi HTS Facility manages a human genomic siRNA library from Dharmacon.<\/p>\n

Tissue Culture Facility<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

A core of the adjoining UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, this facility provides a variety of services including frozen cell storage, a cell line repository, assistance in mycoplasma detection, and local purchase of serum, media, restriction enzymes, and other molecular biology reagents.<\/p>\n

\"FACFlow Cytometry Core<\/a> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sophisticated analysis and cell sorting performed by an expert technician using state-of-the-art cytometers is available, as well as more routine analysis on self-use machines.<\/p>\n

UNC Vector Core<\/a> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

This core is a full-service viral vector production organization with extensive experience in vector design, process development, as well as manufacturing of research and clinical grade vectors.<\/p>\n

Digital Video Microscopy Cores<\/h3>\n

Hooker Imaging Core<\/a> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

This core provides access and user advice for confocal and conventional digitized imaging systems.<\/p>\n

Microscopy Services Laboratory<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

This core offers electron microscopy along with providing access and user advice for confocal and conventional digitized imaging systems.<\/p>\n

Mouse Core Facilities<\/h3>\n

UNC Animal Models Core<\/a> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Animal<\/h4>\n

This core provides advice and technical support for the generation of transgenic and recombinant mice. Particular emphasis is placed on microinjection of vectors and establishment of the resultant transgenic embryos. This core also provides advice and technical support for gene \u201cknockout\u201d studies. Special emphasis is placed on the design of vectors for efficient homologous recombination, on blastocyst implantation, and on handling of animals for germ line transmission and successful breeding.<\/p>\n

Animal Clinical Chemistry and Gene Expression Laboratories<\/a> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

This facility offers support in performing blood chemistry, urinalysis, hematology, genotyping, and real-time PCR gene express ion studies in support of mouse model work.<\/p>\n

Animal Histopathology Core Facility<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

This core, run by a board-certified veterinary pathologist, offers high-quality preparation and processing of frozen and fixed tissue sections, along with education regarding appropriate harvesting, fixation, and selection of histological procedures\/stains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Core facilities include: Michael Hooker Proteomics Core Facility, Protein Expression & Purification Core, UNC Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography Facility, UNC Center for Structural Biology and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22429,"featured_media":0,"parent":12415,"menu_order":48,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-4553","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCore Facilities | Pharmacology<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Core facilities: M.H. 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