Core Facilities

A large part of cutting-edge medical research relies on state-of-the-art technology. Equally important is experience in the operation of such large-scale equipment and expertise in the evaluation and interpretation of the data obtained. At the Faculty of Medicine, a large number of large-scale devices are operated, some or all of which are used for research. Researching physicians, biologists, chemists, bioinformaticians and technicians use these devices.

To ensure that the equipment is optimally utilised and is also available to smaller working groups for individual questions, which could not apply for, utilise or operate large-scale equipment on their own, the large-scale equipment is networked in so-called 'core facilities' or 'equipment centres'. This serves to bundle not only resources, but also know-how. In practical terms, such networking can consist of several large-scale facilities being operated in the same room by the same technicians. Some of the research infrastructure is even operated and financed centrally by the hospital or university. But it is also possible for institutions to make free capacities on their own equipment available to other working groups within the framework of scientific cooperation. For this purpose, the Faculty maintains continuously updated lists of the large-scale facilities with contact persons, an overview of the locations and a collection of the user regulations of the respective Core Facilities. Further information on the Core Facilities can be found in the internal research portal. External interested parties please contact the contact persons in the Research Dean's Office listed under Contact.

In the following, some classes of large-scale equipment - and networkable research infrastructures in the broader sense - are listed and explained as examples:

Sequencing

Not even computer technology is progressing as rapid as sequencing. If the decryption of the first human genome cost billions of dollars and took years, today's commercial sequencers deliver almost automatically and in parallel a whole number of sequences - at the cost of a more complex MRI. Therefore, it is all the more important for a large research institution to benefit from the advantages of the new device generations, but also to preserve the established know-how through the technology cycles.

Scientists from the Faculty of Medicine can perform sequencing at various facilities. These include the Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA) at the Gene Center of the Ludwig Maximilians University, the Platform for Rare Diseases Sequencing (PaRaDiSe) at the Department of Pediatrics of Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital and the Munich Sequencing Alliance, a joint sequencing platform of the Helmholtz Zentrum Münchench (HMGU), the Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry (MPI).

Flow cytometry

Flow cytometry is a standard method in biomedical research. With multi-colored laser light a plurality of properties of a cell can be detected at the same time. Some flow cytometers can also sort the analyzed cells so that cells of a certain type can be processed separately.

Interested scientists can find devices of flow cytometry in the two Core Facilities for Flow Cytometry of the University Hospital at Campus Großhadern and City Center Campus, in the Cell Sorting Core Facility of the Institute of Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK) and in the Core Facility Flow Cytometry of the Biomedical Center (BMC).

Mass spectrometry

In a mass spectrometer, the contents of a sample are separated and recognized according to their specific molecular weight. Thus, without complex chemical analyzes, the composition of a sample can be determined very accurately and examined for the slightest trace of certain substances.

There are possibilities for using mass spectrometer e.g. in the two Core Facilities for Mass Spectrometry of the University Hospital at Campus Großhadern and City Center Campus as well as in the Protein Analysis Unit of the Biomedical Center (BMC).

Imaging

Scientists from the Faculty of Medicine have extensive Imaging opportunities including, for example, the Intravital Imaging Core Facility of the Institute of Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), the Core Facility Bioimaging of the Biomedical Center (BMC) and the Center for Advanced Light Microscopy of the Biological Faculty of the LMU.

Biobank

Biobank platforms as resource and technology platforms are intended to provide access to biomaterials from different locations. An inter-institutional biobank at the Faculty of Medicine is currently being set up. In addition, the German Centers for Health Research provide centrally organized biobank platforms.

Animal facilities

Laboratory animal facilities operated as Core Facilities facilitate compliance with hygiene standards and animal welfare regulations and ensure the highest scientific standards. In addition to a number of decentralized animal facilities, there is the Central Laboratory Animal Facility (ZVH) at the City Center Campus and the Core Facility Animal Models (CAM) of the Biomedical Center (BMC).

The website www.tierversuche-verstehen.de tries to explain why animal testing is still needed in medical research.