Cornell University Institute of Biotechnology

Mission: The mission of the Cornell University Biotechnology Resource Center (BRC; formerly called the Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center or the CLC) is to catalyze and promote research in the life sciences. The BRC provides advanced technologies, services, training and education to the university community and to outside investigators, operating in both fee-for-service and collaborative modes. The BRC’s core facilities include genomics, proteomics and mass spectrometry, imaging, bioinformatics, bio-IT (information technology), and advanced technology assessment. To assist multidisciplinary research initiatives, coordinated project consultations are available with the directors of all the relevant core facilities during the design, data production and analysis phases of research projects. With a concentration of advanced instrumentation, expertise in their applications, and an extensive network of academic, federal, not-for-profit enterprises and commercial partners, the BRC is a dynamic hub for life sciences research at Cornell.

NYSTAR: The BRC is part of the Cornell University Institute of Biotechnology, which is a New York State designated Center for Advanced Technology (CAT), one of fifteen sponsored by the Empire State Development Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). In association with NYSTAR, NY State companies receive a discount on BRC services.

Institutional commitment: Support is provided to the BRC by investment from the Provost, administered through the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, reflecting the long term commitment of Cornell University to maintaining state-of-the-art technology, training and education to support life sciences research. The mandate of the BRC is to provide core resources and services to the whole university, including the Cornell University campuses in Ithaca, NY, Geneva, NY, and the Weill Cornell Medical College campuses in New York City, NY, and Doha, Qatar.

Addition of new core facilities: The BRC has an established review policy for the addition of new core facilities by request of Cornell faculty. These can be existing cores that have a departmental focus but have the potential to be used on a university-wide level, or new facilities that promote emerging disciplines and analytical platforms. Facilities are brought under the umbrella of the BRC through a memorandum of understanding that establishes operating and administrative guidelines.

Administration: The BRC is administered by the Cornell University Institute of Biotechnology, under the overall supervision of Jocelyn Rose, the Director of the Institute, Linda Carr, the Executive Director, who provides financial oversight, and George Grills, the Director of Operations, who provides operational oversight and coordination. Each BRC facility has a Facility Director who provides daily supervision of the facility, and a Faculty Advisory Board that provides feedback on current status and future directions.

Fees: The fee policies of the BRC are governed by federal regulations and university guidelines on core facilities.

ABRF: BRC core directors and staff are active members of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF), an international organization of biotechnology core facilities and life sciences research laboratories.

GENOMICS FACILITY

The BRC Genomics Facility provides a broad array instrumentation and services, including Sanger sequencing of plasmid and PCR products on the Life Technologies/ABI 3730xl capillary array sequencing platform, and a range of next generation sequencing instruments, such as the Roche 454 GS FLX, Illumina MiSeq, Illumina HiSeq 2000, and Illumina HiSeq 2500 platforms. The facility also provides high throughput genotyping and gene expression services using the Illumina, Affymetrix and Agilent microarray platforms and the Life Technologies/ABI Viia7 real-time PCR system.

PROTEOMICS AND MASS SPECTROMETRY FACILITY

The BRC Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility provides investigators with cutting edge technologies for proteomic analyses. Services include 2D gel and 2D LC separation for macromolecules; robotic and manual sample preparation for proteomics samples; protein identification; quantitative proteomics by 2D DIGE analysis or shotgun-based iTRAQ; and characterization of post-translational modifications (PTMs) through both non-targeted and targeted discovery approaches. Services also include small molecule profiling, quantitation and data interpretation.

IMAGING FACILITY

The BRC Imaging Facility (formerly called variously Cornell Imaging, the CT Facility, the Imaging and Microscopy Facility, and the Microscopy Imaging and Fluorometry Facility or MIF) provides researchers with access to instrumentation for cell and tissue imaging, such as fluorescence light microscopy and confocal microscopy, as well as ‘macro’ imaging systems (e.g., whole mouse luminescence and fluorescence imaging), high-resolution ultrasound, and high resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT). Peripheral prototyping and analysis tools, such as stereo microscopes, spectrofluorometry and image processing software are also available. The facility provides training on these tools and expert advice on image analysis and visualization, live cell microscopy, tissue, plant and animal imaging, and fluorescence and other imaging techniques and measurements. The Imaging Facility has several locations on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, NY. Multiple locations are made available because live systems are sensitive to climate and are not very transportable. Locations include a vibration-free section of the basement in Weill Hall, and both before and behind animal barriers in various buildings of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

BIOINFORMATICS FACILITY

The mission of the BRC Bioinformatics Facility (formerly called the Computational Biology Service Unit or the CBSU) is to support biological research with advanced computational infrastructure and bioinformatics tools and techniques. The facility was founded in 2001 as a computational biology resource for a Tri-Institutional collaboration among the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, NY, and the Weill Cornell Medical College, Rockefeller University, and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, NY. The facility became part of the BRC in 2004. The Bioinformatics Facility offers resources, services and training in computational biology and bioinformatics through collaborative research and consultation, and by providing easily accessible advanced computational software, data storage and analysis platforms and expertise in their use and applications.

BIO-IT FACILITY

The BRC Bio-IT Facility supports the activities of the BRC core facilities with enterprise-level information technology (IT) infrastructure, laboratory information management systems, and data management and analysis services. The facility also provides desktop and network support, software license management, and custom bio-IT services to a diverse array of investigators in the Cornell University life sciences research community.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT FACILITY

The mission of the BRC Advanced Technology Assessment Facility is to evaluate, implement and optimize newly emerging biotechnologies and protocols for their effective use, in close coordination with the other BRC core facilities. Once robust high throughput production pipelines are established, the new technologies are transferred to the appropriate BRC facility. This is essential for the successful implementation of newly available, high-end technologies that require extended evaluation, validation, development and optimization. The facility thus facilitates effective implementation of new technologies and novel applications with the potential for breakthrough discoveries in the life sciences.