Shared Resources

 

Structural Biology

 

In recognition of the critical role that it plays in biomedical research across many disciplines, MUSC has made a significant investment in structural biology in recent years. A facility for X-ray crystallography was established in 2001 and, currently, our capability in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) is being enhanced with a new NMR facility being constructed at the Hollings Marine Laboratory and the purchase of a 600 MHz. NMR magnet, to be housed in the Basic Sciences Building. When this process is completed, the two major techniques for high resolution structural biology will be in place at MUSC.
In tandem, a Laboratory for Protein Production has been set up on the 7th Floor of the Basic Sciences Building, which will produce and characterize proteins for structural studies.

 

Click here to visit the structural biology center official website

 

 

Lipidomics in Pathobiology

 

The Lipidomics Core Facility builds on unique expertise at MUSC in sphingolipid biology, chemistry and analysis and their role in signal transduction and cell regulation. This expertise supports the facility's pivotal role in MUSC's COBRE in Lipidomics and Pathobiology.

 

Sphingolipid metabolism assumes a key role in the complex mechanisms regulating cellular stress responses to environmental changes. Several sphingolipid metabolites act as bioactive molecules, and their individual contribution to the regulatory pathways that govern cell growth are being established.

This offers promises for new molecular insights into tumor growth and metastasis and emphasizes the needs to analyze sphingolipid components, examine sphingolipid chemistry and regulation of sphingolipid metabolic pathways. Monitoring changes in sphingolipid composition in normal and cancer environments will provide one of the missing links in the search for a novel and effective therapy.

The Lipidomics Core Facility provides expertise, analysis and synthetic molecular tools to examine the role of sphingolipids in cancer research.

 

Click here to visit the lipidomics facility official website

 

DNA Sequencing

Facilities, Equipment , Services

The Nucleic Acid Analysis Facility of the Biochemistry Department provides automated DNA sequence analysis to members of the MUSC community. The service includes performing thermal cycling sequencing reactions on investigator-provided DNA templates followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, laser-induced fluorescence detection analysis of the gel, data collection and analysis. Both plasmid DNA and PCR fragments can be sequenced and a variety of primers are provided by the facility. Custom, investigator supplied primers can also be used for sequence analysis. Sequence data are provided to investigators as four-color electrophoregram plots and as text files delivered via E-mail or on a computer disc.

The Facility also educates researchers regarding the capabilities of DNA analysis technologies and assists in developing and applying these technologies for specific projects.

At present, the Nucleic Acid Analysis Facility is located in room # 217, sharing space with the GCRC molecular lab.

Currently the Facility uses an ABI Prism 377 Genetic Analyzer to collect and analyze the sequencing data as well as an ABI 310 Genetic Analyzer. The ABI 310 analyzer can also be used for- microsatellite analysis and DNA fragment sizing for RFLP/AFLP analysis. GeneScan software is available for analysis of fragment sizes. Recently, the facility resources expanded due to acquisition of an additional GE Healthcare MegaBase 500 instrument, which more than doubles the production capacity.

 

Click here to visit the DNA sequencing facility official website