Human Immune Discovery Initiative (HIDI)
HIDI aims to improve accessibility to immunological assays and expertise for researchers across the University.
The University of Oxford Immunology Network has driven the development of a Human Immune Discovery Initiative (HIDI), an initiative that aims to improve accessibility to immunological assays and expertise for all researchers across the University (and beyond). HIDI will act as a gateway to immunological resources by sponsoring 4 Discovery Platforms within the Medical Sciences Division.
As well as providing technical expertise, each Platform will offer advice on proposed projects where appropriate. It is anticipated that HIDI will benefit a range of disciplines, including but not limited to immunology, oncology, infection, neuroscience, metabolism, and others. Close links with OUH and OUI will allow the identification and rapid translation of research for patient benefit, if desired.
Read more about each Platform below:
Deep Immune Phenotyping
Core Expertise
Use flow cytometry to interrogate and isolate cell types within complex populations. Flow cytometry can quickly and reproducibly reveal immune cell phenotypes within your sample, including B or T cell identification, and allows more complex immunophenotyping.
The Experimental Medicine Flow Cytometry Facility at the JR Hospital can provide expertise in
- immune cell phenotyping
- cytokine staining
- immunoassays
For more information, please contact Helen Ferry, NDM Experimental Medicine Flow Facility Manager.
Additional expertise
CyTOF
The University of Oxford is also home to two CyTOF machines, one based at the Botnar Research Centre and managed by David Ahern, and the other based at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine and managed by Giorgio Napolitani.
Genomics and Metagenomics
Core Expertise
Investigate transcriptomic variation between cells, analyse rare or transient cell types and identify new types of immune cell.
We have dedicated support and expertise in
- bulk and single cell RNAseq
- TCR and BCR sequencing
- data analysis
Please contact Calli Dendrou at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics or Neil Ashley at the Single Cell Facility, Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine for more information.
Additional expertise
Oxford Viromics Pipeline
A pipeline for sequencing and studying clinically relevant viral pathogens. Please contact David Bonsall at the WCHG for more details
James McCullagh (Department of Chemistry) is interested in the development and application of metabolomics to understand changes in metabolism in disease processes in particular for biomarker discovery, elucidating therapeutic targets and identifying the metabolic impact of genetic mutations. He runs a centre for metabolomics by mass spectrometry and welcomes collaborative research proposals. Please contact James for more information and visit his website.
Oxford Centre for Microbiome Studies
Located within the Kennedy Institute, the Oxford Centre for Microbiome Studies (OCMS) seeks to accelerate research to unravel how microbes underpin health and disease, from ageing and mental health to inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and cancer. For more information, contact the centre.
IMmune imaging
Use immune pathology to visualize immune cells within your tissue of interest using chip cytometry, multi-spectral imaging or microscopy.
At the molecular level, use structural biology to interrogate the physical features of immune receptors, viruses and more.
Core expertise
Chip cytometry
At the Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Chris Willberg has developed a platform of immune staining protocols to allow multi-colour visualisation within tissue samples or cell suspensions.
Please contact Kate Powell for more information
Additional expertise
Multi-spectral imaging
At the CRUK Oxford Centre, up to six biomarkers can be visualised simultaneously in fixed tissue sections allowing unravelling of tissue composition and complexity.
Please contact Michael Youdell for more information
Led by Errin Johnson, the state-of-the-art EM facility at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology provides the expertise and technology to facilitate research. You can read more about the facility here.
For more information, please contact Errin Johnson
Micron Advanced Bioimaging unit
Micron Oxford aims to develop and apply new and emerging advanced microscopy technologies to facilitate important discoveries in basic biomedical research. To achieve this, Micron coordinates and manages the interdepartmental and interdisciplinary cooperation required to lower the activation energy for biologists to become early adopters of advanced imaging methods.
If you would like to learn more about how Micron can help your research, please contact Alan Wainman
Live-cell super-resolution microscopy
The Biophysical Immunology Laboratory led by Marco Fritzsche aims to uncover the biophysical mechanisms underlying the human immune response. To study these often nanoscale processes on the correct spatiotemporal scales, research focuses on the development and application of live-cell super-resolution microscopy such as TIRF-SIM (total internal reflection fluorescence structured illumination microscopy) technology, which Marco recently established within the framework for an international collaboration between Professor Dong Li, Professor Eric Betzig and the University of Oxford's Micron, Professor Michael Dustin at the KIR and the WIMM.
For more information please contact Kseniya Korobchevskaya.
Proteomics
core expertise
Immunopeptidomics utilizes mass spectrometry for MHC-associated peptide discovery in infectious disease and cancer.
Use immunopeptidomics for neo-antigen discovery and to guide therapeutic and preventative vaccine development.
Contact Nicola Ternette at the Jenner Institute and Target Discovery Institute for more information.
Access state of the art technologies to facilitate immunology research
Whether you need to generate a tool for your immunology project, or develop a therapy to assess for translational potential, the groups within this Platform have the required expertise
Cellular screening facility
Led by Daniel Ebner at the TDI, the cellular screening facility use multiple screening techniques to identify novel targets for potential therapeutic development. This includes cell-based arrayed small compound screens and CRISPR/Cas9 genome-wide screens. Please contact Daniel Ebner for advice on how this facility can help your immunology project.
Monoclonal antibody facility
Led by Alison Banham, head of NDCLS, the monoclonal antibody facility has significant experience in the development, validation and characterisation of monoclonal antibodies. Please contact Amanda Anderson, the facility manager, for more information.
