Core Facilities

The Core Facilities are an integral part of the internal research conducted at the Division of Intramural Research.

Microscopy Imaging Core

The NICHD Microscopy and Imaging Core (M.I.C.) is designed as a multi- user research services facility providing instrumentation, training and facilities required for high resolution microscopy and image processing. It is equipped with several point scanning confocal microscopes (Zeiss LSM 510 meta inverted, Zeiss LSM 510 meta upright 2- photon, Zeiss LSM 410 inverted), a Perkin-Elmer Ultraview spinning disk confocal instrument, a Leica wide-angle and an Olympus TIRF microscope, together with a Jeol 1010 Transmission Electron Microscope. Learn more at the MIC webpage here: http://mic.nichd.nih.gov/index.htm

Mass Spectrometry Proteomics

The Mass Spectrometry Proteonomics Core carries out research in areas of chemistry, biochemistry, and medicine for which mass spectrometry is the primary analytical tool. Current research focuses on the reaction energetics of gas phase ions and protein characterization.

The MSP aims to understand the relationship between the energy applied to the formation of a gas-phase peptide ion and the nature of the ion's fragmentation. The type and extent of fragmentation are the determining factors of MS-MS spectra, and these spectra are the foundation on which mass-spectrometric characterization of proteins is based.

Please visit the Section on Mass Spectrometry Proteomics here: http://dir.nichd.nih.gov/nichd/annualreport/2006/smams.htm

Unit on Biological Computation

The Unit on Biological Computation provides end-user scientific software support for laboratories within the NICHD Division of Intramural Research. As a core facility, the unit performs most of its work in conjunction with or on behalf of DIR Laboratories.

• Microarrays
• Two-dimension gel electrophoresis
• Clinical genomics
• Three-dimensional protein structure
• Promoter analysis

Please visit the UBC webpage here: http://dir.nichd.nih.gov/nichd/ubc/