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A guide to some of the immunology facilities across the Medical Sciences Division

Find out who has the piece of equipment you'd like to use by searching the University's Facility and Equipment Database.

Imaging facilities available across the Medical Sciences Division

Oxford multiplex imaging users group

This group aims to connect researchers working with the numerous multiplex imaging technologies across the University, including Zellscanner (Peter Medawar Building), MIBIscope, CellDive (DPOC, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology), Vectra Polaris (Old Road Campus Research Building), Codex (WIMM), Hyperion (WIMM), Nanostring GeoMx (NDS, JR). For more information about the group please join the Multiplex Imaging Users Group Teams site.

Oxford Biomedical Imaging Network

In 2007 the University established a joint MSD/MPLS Biomedical Imaging Network. This network links together the various departmental-based imaging programmes and attempts to promote a coordinated biomedical imaging strategy and collaborative environment. This Network has links to most imaging facilities across the University.

Micron Oxford 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, we coordinate and manage the interdepartmental and interdisciplinary cooperation required to lower the activation energy for biologists to become early adopters of advanced imaging methods.

Our advanced microscopy facilities are located across Oxford primarily in Biochemistry, Dunn School, WIMM and WTCHG. However, we include scientists in many other departments, including, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, CNCB, DPAG, Kennedy and Diamond. Our facilities include all flavours of super resolution imaging modalities as well as single molecule methods and CLEM. We develop and adopt new technologies across all areas of Microscopy: Probe development, specimen preparation, instrument preparation and image analysis.

The Wolfson Imaging Centre

The Wolfson Imaging Centre at the WIMM contains a diverse range of wide-field and confocal microscopes suitable for imaging specimens ranging in complexity from single cells to small laboratory animals.

Dunn School Electron Microscopy Facility

The Dunn School Electron Microscopy (EM) Facility comprises state-of-the-art microscopes and offers the full gamut of EM techniques to facilitate a diverse range of biological and biomedical research. From scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), through to cutting-edge techniques such as correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), volume EM and elemental mapping using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, we have the instrumentation and expertise to help you get the imaging results you need.

Cellular Imaging Core Facility (CICF) 

The Cellular Imaging Core Facility (CICF) is a major hub for microscopy in Oxford, providing imaging solutions from the organismal to the molecular level. The CICF is much more than a point of use facility. In addition to excellent quality tailored user training and ongoing support on all systems covering a wide range imaging modalities, we also offer advice and guidance throughout each stage of imaging projects. We strongly encourage users come to the core at the project conceptualisation stage, we then work with them through planning, sample preparation, imaging, data analysis, figure preparation and finally publication.

Oxford-ZEISS Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Imaging (Oxford-ZCoE)

The Kennedy Institute and IDRM have developed a unique and personal relationship with Carl Zeiss GMBH to form the Oxford-ZEISS Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Imaging (Oxford-ZCoE). This relationship allows users unrivalled access to state-of-the-art technologies and world-leading expertise. We have created an environment where our researchers and collaborators can truly tailor their microscopy experience and work directly with ZEISS R&D to realise their imaging needs.

Digital Omics Pathology Core (DPOC) Multiplex Imaging (Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology)

MIBIscope (IonPath) hyperplexed imaging technique enables high-dimensional tissue imaging for quantitative analysis of up to 54 metal ions at 300nm resolution and permits repeated sample scanning. The CellDive (GE) can stain up to 60 biomarkers on a single sample. When combined with single cell genomics, this approach offers a powerful approach to understanding the molecular and cellular processes driving tissue pathology in human disease and murine mechanistic models. This is augmented with 3D pathology imaging on the Open Top Light Sheet (OTLS) enabling imaging of needle biopsies. DPOC has established image analysis pipelines.

Kennedy Imaging Suite

In addition to the ZEISS instruments within the Oxford-ZCoE, the Kennedy hosts a number of other microscope platforms which are available for internal and external users. This suite of instruments facilitates imaging across the wide range of biologically relevant length scales resolvable using light microscopy. The BSU also hosts a Micro CT platform for animal X-ray tomography.

Nanosting GeoMx

This is available through the Translational Research Immunology Group (TRIG). 

Support for bioinformatic analysis

Many departments, institutes and units within the University provide core bioinformatic support for their researchers. For example, the Bioinformatics and Statistical Genetics Core (BSG) at the WTCHG provides support to research groups in the processing and statistical analysis of a broad range of genomic data; the Bioinformatics Core in the Department of Oncology provides expertise in computational biology ranging from applied statistics to computational and functional genomics. 

WIMM Computational Research Group

The CBRG provides computing support for bioinformatics analysis at the University of Oxford. We have expertise in many aspects of bioinformatics and especially encourage collaborations that require writing custom software, bioinformatics tools and databases. An account with the CBRG gives automatic access to a large number of molecular biology computing packages.

Sources of expertise in genome engineering

Genome Engineering Oxford

Genome Engineering Oxford is a joint venture between the Dunn School of Pathology, DPAG, Biochemistry and Pharmacology. We provide a CRISPR design and testing service for generating experimentally tested vectors and are actively involved in developing new CRISPR methods and applications. 

WIMM Genome Engineering Facility

The Genome Engineering Facility at the WIMM is a central core service set up to establish genetically modified model systems and is available to all researchers.

TDI Cellular HTS - CRISPR Screening Facility

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is ideal for genome-wide knockout and gain of function screening experiments due to the ease of generating gRNAs and the efficiency and irreversibility of Cas9-mediated genetic modifications. Daniel Ebner's group at the TDI have pooled lentivirus CRISPR knock-out and activation libraries that target all the genes in human and mouse genome. 

 

FACS provisions and other cytometry resources available across the MSD

JR Hospital site

THE WIMM Flow Cytometry Facility has state of the art instrumentation for cell analysis and sorting. There are 8 analysers and 5 sorters that are available to external users.

The Experimental Medicine Division Flow Cytometry Facility is based in Room 5605, Level 5, John Radcliffe Hospital and offers a high-quality flow cytometry service to a variety of users. The Facility comprises BD SORP LSRII & BD LSRFortessa analysers, a Cytek Aurora spectral cytometer, plus a BD FACSAriaIII cell sorter.

Old Road Campus

The Old Road Campus site has flow facilities based in the KIR, the Jenner Institute, the NDMRB, the Department of Oncology and the Centre for Human Genetics.

South Parks Road

The Dunn School Flow Cytometry Facility is equipped with 4 analysers, 2 sorters and an Amnis Imagestream (imaging flow cytometer). External users are welcome.

The Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research run a Shared Cytometry Facility which includes a zellscanner and other cytometers.

CyTOF

CyTOF facilities and training can be found at the WIMM and the Botnar Research Centre 

Oxford Cytometry Club

The Oxford Cytometry Club is an Oxford based club dedicated to promoting and encouraging all aspects of cytometry, in and around the Oxfordshire area. Their main aim is to facilitate informal discussion of developments in cytometry research and any associated technologies.

Viral Vector Core Facility 

The Viral Vector Core Facility (VVCF) has been producing recombinant viral vectors required by Oxford University Investigators for pre-clinical vaccine studies and other purposes for over a decade. The facility is also able to supply external academic and industrial collaborators subject to confirmation that there are no conflicts of interest with current research programmes.

Clinical BioManufacturing Facility

The Clinical BioManufacturing Facility has over 20 years’ experience producing biological Investigational Medicinal Products (IMPs) according to the principles of GMP for early phase clinical trials. CBF holds a Manufacturer’s Authorisation for Investigational Medicinal Products (MIA (IMPs)) from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which allows it to manufacture a variety of products including viral vector and recombinant protein vaccines and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) such as cell and gene therapy products. All IMPs are manufactured and released in accordance with the European Clinical Trials Directive (2004). The facility can also import IMPs from outside the EU for use in clinical trials within the European Union.

Bioprocess & Analytical Development (BiPAD)

BiPAD can assist you in making sure your product if going to meet the good manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations required for producing medicines and using them in clinical trials. BiPAD is not a GMP manufacturing facility, instead it fills the gap between innovative laboratory research and GMP. BiPAD makes sure that the processes developed for manufacturing are GMP compliant, that validated analytical assays are in place, and that technology transfer to a GMP manufacturing facility is successful.

QiaSymphony Automated Nucleic Acid Extraction Facility (QANE) 

The Qiagen QiaSymphony SP and Agilent Tapestation 2200 have been set up as a Small Research Facility that is part of the Jenner Institute, in the Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford. The facility provides two main services:

With the QiaSymphony: Automated extraction of DNA or total RNA from a wide variety of source materials, or RNA from Paxgene blood tubes (not compatible with TEMPUS tubes).

With the Tapestation 2200:  Quality analysis of cDNA up to 1Kb, gDNA, RNA (RINe calculation of quality) or protein 20-200KDa.

Centre for Human Genetics Protein profiling resources

The Centre for Human Genetics Technology Platforms is committed to expanding its portfolio of supported technologies for biomarkers discovery. To this end, they have been the first in UK to implement and offer the newest version of the Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) technology by Olink. With Explore, a high-throughput protein profiling, PEA is coupled with NGS to vastly increase the number of detectable proteins from small volumes of samples.

They offer support from study design to delivery of high quality data in the form of normalized protein counts for any combination of panels available from Olink including the latest Explore HT to simultaneously interrogate more than 5300 targets.

They also support all “Olink Target” products run on the Signature Q100 for mid-plex experiments. 

Contact omicsinfo@well.ox.ac.uk

Advanced Proteomics Facility

The Advanced Proteomics Facility provides access to the latest proteomics tools, specifically cutting edge mass spectrometry. It is available to researchers in the South Parks Road science area and to external commercial users.

They have experience in protein identification, quantitative mass spectrometry (SILAC, label-free, dimethyl labelling, TMT) and characterisation methods for a range of post-translational modifications.

The facility is equipped with a wide range of mass spectrometry instrumentation, sample preparation technologies and data analysis software.

TDI MS Laboratory and Discovery Proteomics Facility

The TDI MS Laboratory and Discovery Proteomics Facility has established workflows for "shot-gun" deep proteomics by mass spectrometry. In addition, they have particular expertise in the following specialties:

Phosphoproteomics

Metabolomics & Lipidomics

Clinical Proteomics

PTM Proteomics - coming soon

WIMM Single Cell Facility

The MRC WIMM Single Cell Facility is an ultra-clean environment for the processing and amplification of single cells and small biological samples for sequencing, and other molecular analysis.