Major Equipment Available through the COREs

Cell Isolation:

  • Flow Cytometry: Miltenyi MACSQuant Analyzer 7
    • MACSQuant Analyzer is fully automated instrument setup via pre-set calibration and compensation programs, with automated startup, shutdown, and cleaning cycles. The MACSQuantify™ Software provides user interface for instrument control, data acquisition, and fully automated analysis.
  • Electrical Cell Impedance System (ECIS): Applied Biophysics, Models 100 and Zθ
    • Measures cell impedance using altering currents across cell monolayers and measuring the change in electrical potential. Impedance is calculated using Ohm’s law.
  • Imaging: Leica Aperioscope, Models FL and CS
    • 5 slide scanner with Indica Labs fluorescence imaging analysis software; Brightfield 5 slide scanner with two workstations with Aperio brightfield imaging analysis software.
  • Imaging: Nikon Ni-E upright research microscope with Elements BR Extended Depth of Focus Module-
    • Capture both phase, DIC, brightfield and fluorescence images at high magnification with features, such as Z-stack imaging and multichannel.
  • Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay: BioTek Cytation™ 5 multi-detection microplate reader and Instruments 96 well automated plate washer
    • Reads ELISA assays and the plate washer will increases the productivity and reproducibility of ELISA assays for COBRE participants.

Organ Function:

  • Organ Function: Visualsonics® Vevo 2100
    • A high-frequency, high-resolution digital imaging platform with linear array technology and Color Doppler Mode allows for visualization, assessment, and measurement of anatomical structures and hemodynamic function in longitudinal imaging studies for small animal phenotyping.
  • Organ Function: Moor Instruments Laser Doppler Imaging System
    • Examines the flow of blood non-invasively.
  • Organ Function: SCIREQ FlexiVent™
    • A computer-controlled precision piston pump that can intersperse mechanical ventilation with a variety of volume and pressure controlled maneuvers to obtain accurate, reproducible measurement of respiratory mechanics.
  • Organ Function: Grass transducers & perfusion set up with Natus Medical Inc. PolyView software
    • Used to measure lung function in an ex vivo
  • Liposome Injection: Buchi RotoVapor R215
    • Rotary evaporator for removing solvents.

Respiratory:

  • Cigarette Smoke and Chronic Hypoxia Models:
    • Two Teague TE-10 rodent cigarette smoking machines for exposure of mice or rats to second-hand smoke.
    • Three Biospherix A-Chambers each interfaced with ProOx gas sensors for exposure of mice or rats to hypoxia
  • Cryosectioning:
    • A CryoStar™ NX50 Cryostat (Thermo Scientific) for optimal sectioning quality
  • High Resolution Imaging:
    • Two Leica Aperioscopes, Models FL and CS (5 slides per load), for high magnification images and the Indica Labs fluorescence imaging analysis software and the Aperio brightfield imaging analysis software, respectively
    • A Zeiss LSM880 scanning Confocal microscope with Airyscan (super resolution)
  • Mitochondria Isolation
    • Hei-TORQUE overhead stirrer and tissue grinders
  • Mitochondrial Respiration and Function:
    • A Seahorse XFe96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer for oxygen consumption rate (mitochondrial respiration) and extracellular acidification rate (glycolysis) measurements and mitochondrial substate utilization in cells in a 96 well plate format. Assays include XF cell mito stress test, XF glycolysis stress test, XF glycolysis rate assay, XF ATP production rate assay, XF cell energy phenotype test, substrate oxidative stress tests (glucose, glutamine, and LCFA), and palmitate oxidative stress test.
    • Four O2k-FluoRespirometers (Oroboros) for high-resolution respirometry, which offer the opportunity to dynamically measure metabolic flux (rates) and therefore provides an integrate measure of the dynamics of mitochondrial complex coupled metabolism pathways and function in muscle fibers, cells, or isolated mitochondria. With the fluorescent package, this system also allows us to dynamically measure mitochondrial membrane potential, H2O2 generation, and ATP production.