Omics

State of the art facilities to enable transcriptomics, metabolomics, steroidomics and other analyses of signalling pathways and secreted factors.

Host and tumour profiling unit (HTPU): microarray services

Based in: Institute of Genetics & Cancer (IGC)

Facility manager/ lead contactAlison Munro

This service provides protein, antibody and transcriptomic microarray facilities for the analysis of complex signalling pathways and secreted factors across multiple pre-clinical and clinical sample types:

  • NanoString nCounter - highly sensitive profiling of hundreds of mRNAs, microRNAs, SNVs, CNVs or protein using colour-coded molecular barcodes to provide a digital count of target molecules. Optimised for difficult sample types including FFPE, tissue and lysate samples.
  • Reverse phase protein arrays (RPPA) - a sensitive antibody based proteomic approach enabling simultaneous quantification of multiple proteins and post-translational modifications. Our portfolio of antibodies covers key cancer survival, cell cycle and canonical signalling pathways that can be used to profile multiple pathway responses.
  • Forward phase antibody microarrays (cytokine arrays) - utilises well-validated capture/detection antibody pairs for the relative quantification of secreted factors associated with inflammation and angiogenesis i.e chemokines/cytokine/adipokines.

These facilities are available to all University staff, and to external groups through funded collaboration or fee-for-service contract. The NanoString service obtained ACCORD Accreditation in 2021 and can analyse locally sponsored clinical trial samples.

HTPU Microarray Services website 

Single-cell and Spatial Biology

Based in: Institute for Regeneration and Repair (IRR)

Facility manager/ lead contactDr Meryam Beniazza

The facility is equipped with a 10x genomics chromium controller that allows us to generate single cell genomic and transcriptomic data (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, etc.) from up to 10,000 cells and from multiple samples in parallel, and can offer a fully supported sample preparation service: from cells to libraries that includes QC, quantification and lab consumables.

Single-cell and Spatial Biology facility website

Mass spectrometry for metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics and steroidomics 

Untargeted analysis using dedicated pipelines, high resolution mass spectrometry and data interpretation enable metabolomic, lipidomic and proteomic discoveries. 

  • Metabolomics, proteomics and lipidomics are carried out at the IGC facility, led by Dr Alex von Kriegsheim.

Institute for Genetics and Cancer Mass Spectrometry Facility

  • Steroid profiling using targeted or untargeted analysis in clinical and preclinical studies for Steroidomics: Queen's Medical Research Institute (QMRI) Mass Spectrometry Facility in the Centre for Cardiovascular Science (CVS), led by Dr Natalie Homer.

QMRI Mass Spectrometry Facility in CVS

  • Proteomics and metabolomics: Roslin Mass Spectrometry Facility with Dr Dominic Kurian.

Roslin Mass Spectrometry Facility 

 

Genomics at Edinburgh

Genomics at Edinburgh is a network and hub for all genomics research at the University, with a comprehensive website showcasing all genomics research and  related facilities across campuses.

Genomics at Edinburgh website