Computing Resources

The Bioinformatics Research Center provides faculty with access to high performance cluster computing on a 73-node Apple XServe cluster and a 4-node prototyping cluster. The cluster is equipped with a 3 TB RAID storage array. The cluster is loaded with common bioinformatics software accessible either through the BioTeam Inquiry web interface or via UNIX command line. Researchers also have access to a 96-node Linux cluster through UNC Charlotte Information Technology Services.

The UNC Charlotte Microarray Core Facility is a joint project by UNC Charlotte and Carolinas Medical Center researchers and primarily funded by NC Biotech. The facility is equipped for small-batch printing of oligonucleotide and cDNA glass-slide microarrays. The facility grant was awarded in August of 2006. The facility, located in 273 CARC, is supervised by Dr. Cynthia Gibas and staffed by a full-time technician, and will be accessible to all UNC Charlotte researchers on a cost-recovery basis beginning in spring 2007.  

Core Laboratory Major Equipment 

• Matrix PlateMate 2x2 robotic system for automated microvolume pipetting, including plate replication and reformatting, reagent addition, serial dilution, and reaction setup
• BioRad BioOdyssey Calligrapher benchtop microarray fabrication system for printing of small- to medium- batches of microarrays on standard slides, on membranes or in microplates
• Tecan HS-4800 automated hybridization and wash station for processing of multiple microarrays under controlled conditions
• Tecan LS-Reloaded microarray scanner with capabilities for multi-slide and microplate scanning and up to three dye chemistries simultaneously in red, green and blue wavelength ranges
• Other equipment in the core facility includes a Bio-Rad iQ5 Real Time PCR system with 5-color detection capabilities, an Agilent eBioanalyzer for QC of nucleic acid and protein samples, a NanoDrop UV-Vis spectrophotometer for quantitation of nucleic acids in extremely small sample volumes, and ThermoElectron and Agilent hybridization ovens, carousels, and chambers for manual hybridization of glass-slide microarrays

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