Core Facilities

LSI SCIENTIFIC FACILITIES & CORE SERVICES

The LSI, in partnership with other UBC facilities, provides state-of-the-art research Core Facilities to make technology and expertise available to all internal researchers as well as external users. The LSI houses seven Scientific Facilities designed to strengthen our research, which is essential for maintaining our international competitiveness. Our Core facilities are managed by skilled researchers and technicians, who facilitate efficient and effective delivery of key technologies, generate technological knowledge, and train people across various disciplines.

Additionally, the LSI hosts four Core Services supporting research and infrastructure, including an Equipment Services Workshop for maintenance and repairs of laboratory equipment, a Stores facility, providing the LSI community with convenient access to common lab supplies at a reduced cost, and QPCR.


Did your research receive support or services from an LSI Scientific or Core Facility? If so, please mention the appropriate facility in your acknowledgments using the following sample text or an appropriate variation of it:

‘This work was supported by Life Sciences Institute Cores (X and X), supported by the UBC GREx Biological Resilience Initiative’


Please click on the list below for more information.

LSI Scientific Facilities

Advanced Structural Biology for Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (ASTRID)

ASTRID supports research into the structural analysis of proteins and protein-protein interactions through a group of shared facilities and equipment. These include an NMR Spectroscopy Unit (Contact: Lawrence McIntosh); an X-ray Crystallography and Crystallization Robotics Unit (Contact: Natalie Strynadka), and a Bio-analytical Unit featuring Isothermal calorimeters (Contact: Filip van Petegem), Dynamic light scattering with plate reader (Contact: Michael Murphy), and Multiangle light scattering (Contact: Lindsay Eltis).

Bioinformatics

The Bioinformatics Core provides consultation, training, and analysis services for projects involving whole genome sequencing, RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, and more. Users are encouraged to come in for a consultation at the start of any project as well as after acquiring data (Contact: Stephane Flibotte).

Biofactorial High-Throughput Biology Facility

Biofactorial is equipped with high-throughput automation infrastructure, including for liquid handling and dispensing, plate reading, cell plating, colony picking, and library preparation for sequencing, and additionally provides access to metagenomic and chemical compound libraries for screening (Contact: Tom Pfeifer).

Life Sciences Institute Imaging (LSI IMAGING)

LSI IMAGING provides access to state-of-the-art equipment for super resolution and confocal microscopy, high content imaging, live cell imaging, and analysis software. Users benefit from expert training and support on all instrumentation (Contact: Guang Gao).

Flow Cytometry (ubcFLOW)

ubcFLOW provides researchers in academia and industry with access to high-end flow analyzers, and flow sorting services. Users additionally benefit from in-depth training courses and expert advice on application development (Book).

Single Cell Imaging Analytics (ubcCYTOF)

ubcCYTOF provides researchers in academia and industry with access to high-end flow analyzers, flow sorting services, and CyTOF. Users additionally benefit from in-depth training courses and expert advice on application development (Book).

Proteomics and Metabolomics

The Proteomics Core Facility (PCF) offers a broad range of services, from mass confirmations to large-scale quantitative proteomic screens, along with all the associated bioinformatics. We are in the process of developing metabolomics capabilities and will update our services soon.

LSI Core Services

Equipment Services Workshop

The LSI Equipment Services Workshop provides on-campus support for the repair and maintenance of lab equipment, parts design, fabrication, and modification, as well as consultation services (Contact: Adam Suen).

LSI Stores

The LSI Stores provides the LSI community with a convenient source for common lab supplies at reduced costs, as well as free access to dry ice, glass washing detergent, biohazard bins and bags, lab coats and lab coat laundry service (Contact: Rod Hanning).

LSI Quantitative PCR Core (QPCR Core)

The QPCR Core offers free training and use of real time PCR systems such as BioRad Opticon and Quant Studio, as well as a QX200 Droplet Digital PCR system, for quantifying nucleic acid targets (Contact: Aaron Bogutz Blair).

LSI Shared Equipment

The LSI provides support for some departmental equipment in an effort to make it available to all LSI members. Contact the individuals listed on the Shared Equipment page for more information or to request access.

Other Facilities at the Life Sciences Centre

The Facility for Infectious Disease and Epidemic Research (FINDER)

FINDER is a 6,700-sq-ft containment level 3 facility offering self-contained suites for microbiology, proteomics, imaging, flow cytometry, and freezer storage, to support research in bacterial and viral infectious diseases, and development of vaccines and therapeutics for risk group 3 pathogens.

High Resolution Macromolecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy (HRMEM)

HRMEM provides researchers with resources for high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy, including Talos, Glacios, and Krios microscopes, and equipment for sample preparation.

Centre for Disease Modelling (CDM)

CDM is part of the UBC Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP),  a University-wide program and covers all UBC persons who work with animals in research and teaching.