Life Science Equipment and Facilities

An open space, over 500m2, lab is available to be shared by 6-8 Life Science groups. The lab is equipped with benches and cupboards.

Other facilities available for the Life Science groups include: PCR room, cold rooms, cell culture room, prep room, instrument room, dark room and microscopes room. Automated crystallization facilities are available through closely located OPPF-UK group.  

Life Science equipment includes:

Life Science lab equipment (for each group)

  • Heathrow Scientific Sprout Microcentrifuge for 6 x 1.5ml tubes, with adaptors for 0.5ml tubes and rotor for 2 x 8strip 0.2ml tubes, max 6,000rpm/2,000g
  • Fridge / freezer
  • Underbench Fridge
  • Underbench Freezer
  • Stuart SA8 Vortex Mixer
  • Safety storage COSHH cabinet

Life Science lab equipment (to share)

  • GE ImageQuant LAS 4010 imaging/gel documentation system 
  • Bio-Rad Mini Protean, Criterion and Protean II XI vertical gel electrophoresis systems
  • Bio-Rad Mini Sub-Cell GT (7 x 7cm) and Sub-Cell GT (15 x 15cm) horizontal gel electrophoresis systems
  • RO and 18.2MΩ water
  • Scotsman AF100 Ice Machine
  • Constant Systems TS series 1.1kW, model T55/40/AE/GA Cell Disruptor with ThermoFlex 1400 Chiller Unit
  • Beckman 22R refrigerated Microcentrifuge with 24 place 1.5ml microtube rotor
  • Sanyo EN-SL40S Microwave (takes 500ml bottles)
  • Molecular Devices SpectroMax M2 Cuvette and Plate Spectrophotometer
  • Four Foster Cold Cabinets, model EPREMG1350H
  • Nanodrop 2000C Spectrophotometer 
  • AKTA Prime Protein Purifier
  • MSE Soniprep 150 plus Sonicator
  • ThermoScientific ALPS25 Plate Heat Sealer
  • Stuart SB160 Hotplate
  • Stuart SB162 Heater/Stirrer
  • Stuart Gyro-Rocker SSL3
  • Waterbath FB60303
  • Light Box 44 x 28cm

PCR room (to share)

  • GRI G-Storm GS00004M 4 block cycler

Prep room equipment (to share)

  • Two LTE K300E Touchclave-lab autoclaves
  • Prestige Medical 210048 portable media autoclave
  • Four Innova 44 Orbital shakers with clamps for flasks 250mL to 2L
  • Two Heraerus B15 compact incubators, 15L, ambient + 5°C to 50°C
  • Medline 1B-01E benchtop incubator, 65L, anti-vibration, ambient + 3°C to 60°C
  • Jenway 3510 pH meter with temperature probe
  • Scotsman AF100 Ice-machine
  • LTE Unitemp Drying Cabinet
  • Two Miele Professional G 7880 CD Glasswashers
  • Beckman Avanti J-26XP centrifuge with fixed angle rotors JLA 8.1, JLA 16.250 and JLA 25.50 and swing-out rotor JS 5.3 with buckets for 15 and 50ml tubes
  • Sorvall Evolution RC centrifuge with fixed angle Fibrelite rotors F8-6 x 1000y and F14-6 x 250y, fixed angle rotor F-28/50 and swing-out rotor SH-3000 with microplate adaptors
  • Denver Instruments SI-2002 balance (to 2 decimal places), to balance centrifuge bottles
  • Denver Instruments SI-403 balance (to 3 decimal places)
  • Denver Instruments SI-234 balance (to 4 decimal places) on vibration-damping mount
  • Sanyo EN-SL405 Microwave (takes 500mL bottles)
  • RO and 18.2MΩ water
  • Waterbath FB60303
  • Stuart SB162 heater/stirrer
  • Stuart SB160 hotplate
  • ScanLaf Mars Safety Class 2 Cabinet 1200mm
  • ScanLaf Fortune Laminar Flow Hood 900mm
  • Eppendorf Research Plus pipettes, single channel, 0.1µL to 1mL
  • Rechargeable pipetting aids

Instrument room equipment (to share)

  • Micromass Q-Tof Micro Mass spectrometer (under the aegis of OPPF-UK)
  • Beckman ProteomeLab XL-1 Protein Characterization System (AUC) with rotor An 60 Ti
  • Beckman Optima L-100 XP Floor-standing Ultracentrifuge with fixed angle rotors 70 Ti and 45 Ti and swing-out rotor SW32 Ti
  • Beckman Optima Max-XP Benchtop Ultracentrifuge with fixed angle rotors TLA 55 and TLA 110 and swing-out rotor MLS 50
  • Beckman Cordless Tube Topper for Quickseal tubes
  • Four NBS U570 -80°C Freezers with racking for microtubes, microplates, 15ml and 50ml conical tubes and storage bins

Cell culture room (containment level 2) (to share)

  • Two 1200mm and one 1500mm ScanLaf Mars Microbiological Safety Cabinets
  • Binder C150 CO2 incubator
  • Fridge/freezer and underbench fridge and freezer
  • Eppendorf 5702 Centrifuge with swing-out rotor A-4-38, aerosol-tight 85ml round buckets and adaptors for 15 and 50ml conical tubes
  • Microscope
  • IBS Integra Biosciences Vacusafe Aspirators with Vacuboy adaptors
  • Eppendorf Research Plus pipettes, single and 8-channel, 0.1µL to 1mL
  • Waterbath FB60303
  • Rechargeable pipetting aids
  • Boby trolleys

Microscope room (under consideration; to share)

  • Fluorescent microscope
  • Optical microscope
  • Microscope plus camera

Additional microscopes (e.g Inverted fluorescence microscope plus Confocal) available through LSF

Others

  • LN2 external PV vessel
  • LN2 cryo-dewar
  • Other gases

Large, specialist equipment in RCaH includes:

TEM, SEM, NMR, Analytical ultracentrifuge, etc