MSU Core Facilities (Click title of facility for details.)

Biomacromolecular Crystallography
The facility has over 1500 sq. ft. of space and houses state-of-the-art instrumentation for X-ray diffraction analysis of biomacromolecules, including crystal cooling systems for cryocrystallography at liquid nitrogen temperatures.

A Rigaku RU-200 rotating anode serves as an X-ray source for a Siemens X-1000 multiwire X-ray area detector on a 4-circle goniostat with a graphite monochromator and a MSC R-Axis II image plate area detector with an Osmic Kirkpatrick-Baez "Max-Flux" focusing mirror set.

A Siemens Direct Drive rotating anode serves as an X-ray source for a Siemens Hi-Star X-ray area detector with Osmic Kirkpatrick-Baez "Max-Flux"focusing mirrors; this X-ray source is 5-15 times more intense than conventional laboratory sources.

BMB Instrument Shop
Experts in the repair and maintenance of scientific equipment including recalibration of Pipetteman, centrifuges, refrigeration, vacuum systems, CO2 incubators, mechanical and custom machine shop equipment; technicians in the instrument shop have been serving MSU and off-campus researchers for over 30 years.

BMB Research Store
The Biochemistry Storeroom opened its doors in 1964. Since then, it has offered a variety of chemical, laboratory and office supplies to our growing community campuswide. Offering a freezer program includes restriction enzymes, PCR and modification enzymes, molecular weight markers, and competent cells and open order system, the BMB Research Store caters to the needs of the scientific community at very convenient prices and with excellent service.

The RTSF offers bioinformatics, flow cytometry, genomics, growth chambers, macromolecular structure, sequencing, and synthesis, mass spectrometry, NMR (900mHZ), and proteomics. Please click the titles below for more details.

Flow Cytometry Facility
This facility has available two flow cytometers­the Vantage SE TurboSort^TM for cell sorting or analysis and an LSRII for cell analysis only.  The Vantage is equipped with a high speed macro sort head capable of sorting cells from bacteria to plant protoplasts in size and from low to high speeds as dictated by the cells being sorted.  The machine is equipped with 3 lasers.  The argon laser has 4 detectors for green, orange, red and far red fluorescences.  The hene laser has 2 detectors for red and far red.  The UV laser has 2 detectors for blue and a second fluorochrome.  Data may be collected by using either an analog system with CellQuest software, or by a digital system using DIVA software.  The LSR II is equipped with 3 lasers.  The blue laser has 4 detectors capable of the same fluorescence detection frequencies as the Vantage.  It has a red laser with three detectors for 660 nm, 700 nm and 780 nm fluorescence.  It also has a violet laser (405) which is useful for violet excited cyan protein or fluorophores and yellow fluorophores – two detectors.  The LSR II uses only digital DIVA data collection.  The LSR II can be used for multiplex bead array assays since it is equipped with an enclosed flow cell.  Software for data analysis is available for cell cycle analysis (Modfit), and phenotyping (WinList 6, FCSExpress 3, and FlowJo).  A large variety of methods for the study of plant and animal cells may be executed on these machines.  Apoptotic cell death, cell proliferation, cell activation and signaling, cell integrity, cell and organelle function, and presence or absence of plasma membrane, cytoplasmic or nuclear markers for up to 9 markers can be done simultaneously.  Studies of cellular DNA can be done to determine DNA content and presence or absence of aneuploidy and polyploidy.

Macromolecular Computer Facility
The Macromolecular Computing Facility offers: The Macromolecular Computing Facility offers: Protein modeling and analysis, NMR structure determination and analysis, poster printing, and general personal computing. Hardware available includes: Linux and Silicon Graphics workstations, PCs and a Mac; high-resolution, color laser, and large-format poster printers; and AgFa Arcus II scanners. The facility offers graphics and crystallographic software as well as access to the Cambridge Structural Database containing 3-dimensional structures of small organic and inorganic molecules determined by X-ray and neutron diffraction. See more.

Mass Spectrometry Facility
The Mass Spectrometry Facility is an open access resource where researchers and facility staff perform small molecule and metabolomic analyses using 11 mass spectrometers. Analyses typically involve compound identification or quantitative analysis. Students and other researchers are encouraged to become certified users of the instruments, and the facility staff offers frequent training in the theory and operation of facility instruments. Trained instrument users enjoy 24/7 open access for instrument use; three staff experts perform analyses and provide consulting regarding method development and data interpretation. The facility houses five GC/MS instruments including three Agilent and one Thermo quadrupole GC/MS systems and a Waters GCT Premier GC/TOF high resolution MS instrument. Four LC/MS/MS instruments including Waters Quattro Premier XE UPLC/MS/MS, Quattro micro, and QTof Ultima systems and an Applied Biosystems QTRAP 3200 instrument offer analyses using either electrospray, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), or atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI). The QTof instrument provides accurate mass (high resolution) analyses, and the MS 3 analyses can be performed on the QTRAP. MALDI analyses of materials ranging from small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides, and polymers can be performed on Shimadzu AXIMA-cfr plus and Applied Biosystems Voyager-DE STR instruments. A JEOL HX-110 double-focusing magnetic sector instrument provides fast atom bombardment (FAB) ionization with high-resolution capabilities for formula confirmation. The facility performs analyses of samples from more than 100 institutions from across North America, and will begin offering lipidomic analyses during the current year.

Macromolecular Structure Facility
The Macromolecular Core is equipped with equipment to analyze proteins, peptides, DNA, carbohydrates and small molecules. Peptide and DNA synthesis is available. Oligonucleotides can be synthesized using standard, modified, fluorescently labeled, or biotinylated bases. A partial list of the equipment in this core includes: an ABI Procise cLC 494 Protein/Peptide Sequencer, an ABI Biosystems Procise HT 494 Protein/Peptide Sequencer, an ABI 173 Capillary HPLC, an ABI 130 Microbore HPLC, an ABI 432 Peptide Synthesizer, an ABI 433Peptide Synthesizer, ABI 3900 Oligonucleotide Synthesizer, an ABI 394 Oligonucleotide Synthesizer, a Capillary nanogradient HPLC, and a GeneMachines Polyplex NT Oligonucleotide Synthesizer. The Facility has two amino acid analyzers: a Hitachi L8800 post column system and a Waters 2690 system running precolumn AccQ-Tag™ chemistry, with two hydrolysis work stations. The MSSSF is also equipped with several analytical and preparative HPLCs with fluorescent, UV/Vis, and electrochemical detectors.

MSU Growth Chamber Facility
This facility maintains 139 growth chambers providing stringent temperature, light and humidity control. The chambers are set up to meet the expectations of the researcher. Within the facility, specialized needs, i.e. low temperature control, high light requirements, CO2 injection, and CO2 scrubbing, can be provided. Chambers are monitored by facility staff 365 days a year. Currently, the facility has a total of 3,440 square feet of growing space.

NMR Facility (MCSB-MLSC/CTA)
A Bruker AVANCE 900 MHz NMR spectrometer (field at 21.14 Tesla) equipped with a TCI cryoprobe (both ¹H and ¹³C coils are cryo-cooled) and solid state NMR accessories is available for scientists at Michigan State University.

Associated Facilities