Available Services

The Structural Proteomics unit will perform crosslinking MS on a purified protein complex to identify protein-protein interactions and map residue distances. This service does not include preliminary crosslinking reaction optimisation, which should be performed by the User at their own institution (in consultation with our Facility Staff). This service will only be performed by Facility Staff.

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The Structural Proteomics unit will perform crosslinking MS on a purified protein complex to identify protein-protein interactions and residue distances. This service includes preliminary crosslinking reaction optimisation and proteomics acquisitions. These can be performed by our Facility Staff provided the protein sample, or by a visiting User with our assistance.

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The Structural Proteomics unit will perform crosslinking MS to characterize the interactome of a particular target protein in situ. Crosslinking reactions can be performed on cells, in lysate or after competitive or otherwise non-denaturing (native) elution. As this experiment requires a careful and at times tricky design, preliminary results will be shared with the User and guidance provided to set or optimize the experimental conditions. This service will be performed by Facility Staff if the crosslinking reaction occurs at the home institution with guidance from us, or by a visiting User under our direct supervision if the entire workflow is requested.

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The Structural Proteomics unit will perform crosslinking MS to characterize the topology of the protein-protein interactome of a particular target protein or enriched cellular fraction in situ. Examples include: interactome of pulldowns with an endogenously tagged protein of interest; interactome of vesicles\cellular compartments; interactome of bacterial cells or virus\host interactions after pulldown of specific virulence factors. Crosslinking reactions can be performed on cells, on lysates or after competitive or otherwise non-denaturing (native) elution. As these experiments require careful design, the User will be granted access to preliminary acquisitions to characterise the sample and set the correct reaction conditions, or guidance to perform the optimization at their home institution. This service will be performed by our Facility Staff in collaboration with a visiting User.

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Autonomous Flow Cytometry Analysis (after completion of a training session) or Operator Assisted Flow Cytometry Analysis.

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Structural biology and biochemical assays often require sample optimization to achieve stability and homogeneity, while understanding the oligomerisation state and precise composition of macromolecular complexes is crucial for unravelling their architecture. To address these needs, the Biophysics Unit offers a service leveraging various instruments to determine the molecular weights of species in solution and their thermal stability parameters. Techniques utilized include mass photometry, SEC-MALS, dynamic light scattering, and nanoDSF.

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This service is dedicated to projects aiming to explore and develop complex biochemical assays or assays that had never been performed before. Examples: activity assays (e.g., transcription), motility surface assays, cell manipulation assays. This service will only be performed by Facility Staff, ideally accompanied by the User. As part of this service, the Facility Staff will check sample quality, troubleshoot, and define optimal conditions for data acquisition. If possible, an automation protocol for the experiment can be developed to streamline future data collection. The User can spend up to 10 days in the Facility, testing various samples. The work can be split into two visits. The outcome of this service is an established protocol that can be used for ‘data acquisition’ service.

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Microbiome analysis via 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing is pivotal for studying microbial community composition and diversity, spanning bacteria and fungi. The 16S rRNA gene, found in bacteria and archaea, and ITS for fungi are key markers used for taxonomic classification.

The process entails sample collection, DNA extraction, PCR amplification targeting variable regions of 16S rRNA or ITS genes, library preparation, and high-throughput sequencing. Taxonomic classification involves clustering reads into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) or amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), followed by comparison to reference databases. Diversity and community analyses assess microbial community structure using metrics like alpha and beta diversity, unveiling richness, evenness, and composition insights.

Libraries are prepared using the QIAseq 16S/ITS Panels (Qiagen), developed for sequencing 16S rRNA and ITS regions on Illumina platforms and to perform a parallel profiling of bacterial and fungal communities.

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STED microscope with 4 laser sources (405 nm, 485 nm, 561 nm, and 640 nm), depletion laser (755 nm), adaptive optics system, MATRIX detectors and FLIM module

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