Researchers at the Department of Pathology have access to outstanding facilities both within the Department and the University of Cambridge, which provide state-of-the-art equipment, technical advice, and training. The facilities have an emphasis on quality and consistency and are vital in helping us deliver world-class research. Having in-house technicians and experts in a range of widely-used technical areas helps researchers design and implement experiments efficiently and rigorously.
High-throughput sequencing facility
The High-throughput Sequencing Facility at the Department of Pathology (also called Cambridge Genomic Services (CGS)) is a sustainable self-funded core facility offering state-of-the-art genomics and sequencing technologies with computational biology and bioinformatics support. The facility is located on the Tennis Court Road site and has the capacity for single-cell RNA-Seq library preparation, automated bulk sequencing library preparation, nucleotide quantification, and high-throughput sequencing.
Flow Cytometry
The Flow Cytometry facility at the Department of Pathology enables researchers to analyse the quantity and combination of proteins and other markers within single cells, and separate cells based on these characteristics. To this end, the facility has a number of flow cytometers, including a cutting-edge high-dimensional spectral flow cytometer, and multiple cell sorters enabling separation of cell populations based on multiple markers.
Histology
The Histology Facility at the Department of Pathology provides a range of histology services, including tissue processing, paraffin embedding, sectioning FFPE and frozen blocks, H&E and a selection of tinctorial stains, enabling researchers to analyse the structure and composition of tissues at microscopic scale.
Microscopy
The Microscopy Facility at the Department of Pathology houses a number of microscopes with the primary aim of facilitating high-quality research. The facilities available aim to provide tools to investigate both live-cell and fixed samples in 2D, 3D and 4D. The facility has the capacity to perform light microscopy on containment level 2 samples, permitting live-cell experiments to be performed on primary cells, organoids or infected samples. In addition to several forms of light microscopy, the facility houses a transmission electron microscope (and associated equipment) for your ultrastructural needs.
Biomedical Isothermal Titration Calorimetry
The Biomedical Isothermal Titration Calorimetry Facility at the Department of Pathology provides a quantitative way of measuring the thermodynamics of binding between purified biomolecules and/or chemicals in their near-native states, by measuring the heat released or absorbed as the binding event occurs in solution. It has a fully automated MicroCal PEAQ-ITC instrument (Malvern Panalytical) capable of performing ITC experiments with automated cell cleaning and minimal manual handling. Multiple experiments can be set up to run automatically over the course of a few hours to days.
The School of the Biological Sciences
The School houses a number of research facilities, libraries and support services, many of which may be used by members of other Schools. Likewise School members can access complementary facilities elsewhere in the University.
SBS facilities webpages