Small University Research Facilities Provides World-Class Expertise

October 31, 2014

Small University Research Facilities

The Small University Research Facilities (SuRF) at the Queen's Medical Research Institute (QMRI), University of Edinburgh, is an amalgamation of complementary units that provide a large range of expert biomedical services. They facilitate cell and tissue-based research throughout the University and the wider research community.

Some of the services that are offered to researchers include histology, immunohistology, basic and advanced microscopic imaging, biomolecular services, and custom lentivirus production. Researchers are also provided with support and access to cutting-edge solutions that they can use all the way from initial sample collection to final microscopic imaging in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo.

Helping Scientists Meet Their Research Goals

Scientists need access to high quality equipment and knowledge to help them perform experiments such as high throughput immunohistochemistry or primary antibody optimization that they are often not able to do in their own labs.

The experts at SuRF help design and run experiments, troubleshoot, cost grants and provide training on equipment and software. They are an essential part of the process of obtaining publication quality research data.

"We find PerkinElmer’s Tyramide detection systems to be easy to use, reliable and stable enough to be used in multi-labeling procedures on robotic staining platforms."

- Mike Millar, SuRF, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh

SuRF Brings Researchers Access to High Quality, Easy to Use Technology

SuRF helps solve the lack of accessibility and expertise issues that organizations face by bringing together world-class clinical research centers to address a range of diseases at the most fundamental cellular level.

Here's just one example: The high quality staining of proteins in samples, using antibody-based methods (immunostaining) is important as it makes subsequent microscopic imaging and analysis easier and more accurate for researchers. For this reason, the Immunodetection and Histological imaging team at SuRF uses highly sensitive Tyramide Signal Amplification (TSA®) Technology.

Scientists using the facility work on a diverse range of species and tissues and therefore technologies and solutions that allow a high degree of standardization are important. The use of TSA Technology means that for many experiments, the SuRF team only needs to optimize a few parameters – this also aids in producing faster and more reliable results.

High Quality Research at an Affordable Price

Shared research facilities are cropping up, particularly in academia, at a quick pace. Many of these facilities operate on a full cost recovery basis, which lets them maintain state-of-the-art equipment in its best working order, enhance their equipment infrastructure, and to continuously adapt their services to fit changing customer requirements. This in turn keeps costs low, giving researchers access to the high quality research facilities they need without being priced out of conducting valuable disease research.

For Research use only.  Not for use in diagnostic procedures.


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