Core Facilities
Cancer Research
The Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre and the McGill Life Science Complex have at their disposal and offer the services of several in-house core facilities. These facilities provide the GCC members and the McGill research community access to advanced technical expertise with state-of-the-art equipment. Facility services are also available to the outside scientific community in order to enhance the level of collaborative research. Available Facilities are: Transgenic Mouse Core Facility, Histology Core Facility, Hybridoma Core Facility, Imaging Core Facility, Mouse Phenotyping, Dissection Microscopy, Fluorescence Imaging, Flow Cytometry, High. Other Services are also available through the Animal Resources Centre: Veterinary Pathology. For more information: cancercentre.mcgill.ca/research
Clinical Research Cord Blood Bank
The Clinical-Research Cord Blood Bank of the McGill University Health Center opened its doors in October 2007. The facility specializes in storing cord blood units too small for public banks but adequate for other clinical applications that require a low volume of stem cells. It provides isolation of hematopoietic stem cells or other components from the umbilical cord blood at a low price. In a structured program of quality and standardized manufacturing processes, it meets the standards of good laboratory practice and the requirements of Health Canada. This unique bank in Canada contains cord blood units that can be used safely in clinical research projects. A detailed research project and a consent form must accompany all applications. A research ethics committee recognized by the Unit for Ethics of the Government of Québec or by the Panel on Research Ethics of the Canadian Government must approve projects.
Genomics and Proteomics
Genomics and Proteomics The McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, originally established at the MUHC, provides DNA sequencing, genotyping, microarray, proteomics and informatics technologies for over 700 scientists each year. Research Institute scientists have benefited from close interactions with the Centre, both to provide access to the latest genomics and proteomics technologies to discover causes and therapies for common diseases and to provide core facilities that are essential for large research projects in human health.
Infection & Immunity
The Infection and Immunity core facility offers a variety of services including automated sequencing, confocal imaging, SELDI-ToF mass spectroscopy, access to Levels 2 and 3 biosafety labs and animal facilities, and microarray technologies. Moreover, the Infection and Immunity Axis now benefits from a state-of-the-art, immune phenotyping platform which provides researchers and clinicians with access to training and use of multi-parametric flow cytometry and cell sorting.
Musculoskeletal
Services for X-ray and micro CT imaging, histologic and histomorphometric analyses of mineralized tissues and for the analysis of a variety of cytokines and growth factors relevant to skeletal health and disease are available through the Centre for Bone and Periodontal Research. Consultation in small animal models, biomaterials, stem cells and devices for bone tissue engineering is available to members of the research community and private sector partners through members of the Musculoskeletal Axis.
Neuroscience
The new Brain Imaging Centre at the MNI will facilitate the development of new techniques for imaging humans and animals and for creating new ways to unite molecular biology and brain-imaging confocal microscopes. BIC’s world-class facilities include some of the most advanced MR, PET, and MEG imaging devices available. In addition to scanners used for human and primate studies, the BIC has high-tech scanners designed specifically for use with small animals. Image processing and other processor intensive tasks are completed using the BIC’s first-class computing system. For more information: www.mni.mcgill.ca
Procure Quebec Prostate Cancer Biobank
This Biobank is a long-term collaborative study between Procure< Alliance, a not-for-profit prostate-cancer organization, andQuebec’s four universities with teaching hospitals, namely Université de Montréal, McGill University<, Université de Laval and Université de Sherbrooke. The goal is to collect and store research-grade human tissues and associated data from men with prostate cancer, and those at risk, for research purposes. Materials and data are stored in the research institutes of participating university hospitals, and subsequently distributed to researchers. To date, the Biobank has enrolled over 1,000 men with prostate cancer.
Respiratory Health
Core services in the following areas are available: molecular pathology, tissue culture, animal physiology, molecular cloning and imaging facility. A tissue bank, situated at the RI/MCI site, contains tissues and samples from asthmatics, subjects with COPD or cystic fibrosis, as well as from healthy subjects.
Sheldon Biotechnology Centre
Located in the Duff Medical Building, the Sheldon Biotechnology Centre provides life-science researchers with core technologies to analyze biomolecules. Services and training include: multiplex, surface plasmon resonance; peptide synthesis; protein sequencing; and mass spectrometry. (www.mcgill.ca/sheldon)
Vivarium
The Research Institute supports animal facilities at the MUHC and Montreal Neurological Institute. The Animal Care Committee reviews and approves protocols prior to the start of any project that will use animals.
