Georgia Tech Cores

Core Facilities

The Petit Institute's state-of-the-art research facilities, known as "Core Facilities," serve as a shared resource for the bioengineering and bioscience community. Consultation, training, and technical support is available for a variety of research projects. Users have access to over 100 pieces of lab equipment totaling over $24 million.

The Petit Institute serves as the hub of several core facilities which are available to affiliated labs at a highly subsidized rate.

In order to reserve core facilities equipment you must register to use the iLab Solutions system. Once you are registered, the system will enable you to place service request, provide required approvals, monitor progress and view equipment availability. If you experience difficulties, please contact us.

Acknowledgements
The Petit Institute's core facilities are here to support your research. Please include the following acknowledgement on all publications. "We wish to acknowledge the core facilities at the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at the Georgia Institute of Technology for the use of their shared equipment, services and expertise."

Our Core Facilities:

Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Core

Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique for the determination of the elemental composition of a sample or molecule. It is also used for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and other chemical compounds.

Biomechanics Core
The Biomechanics core facility conducts mechanical analysis and testing of biological and engineered materials.  Static and dynamic mechanical characterization is performed in this facility through various modes of testing (compressive, tensile, torsional, flexural, fatigue, etc).  

Biomolecular Analysis Core
Biomolecules form the basis of life. Biomolecular Analysis involves the characterization of polymeric biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, protein, carbohydrates and lipids as well as single biomolecules.

Biopolymer Core
Biopolymers including proteins and enzymes play a crucial role in the development of innovative biotechnology. The Biopolymer Characterization (BPC) core facility serves as an ideal, well-equipped facility for all protein and enzyme characterization needs. The core features a wide range of state-of-the-art instruments for conducting structural, functional, kinetic, and high-throughput analysis of samples.

Cellular Analysis Core
The cell is the basic unit of the organism. Cellular Analysis involves the characterization of cell populations using fluid based transport systems. In the Coulter Multisizer, impedance is used to size and count cells as well as particles as they pass the through the orifice of an aperture.

Genome Analysis
The BioMark Genetic Analysis Platform is a fully integrated system enabling analysis of gene expression, genotyping, mutant detection, and absolute quantization of nucleic-acid sequences utilizing Dynamic Array Integrated Fluidic Chip (IFC) technology which provides high-throughput real-time qPCR.

High Throughput DNA Sequencing
The sequencing core at Georgia Tech houses an Illumina HiSeq 2500, a state-of-the-art machine capable of ultra-high-throughput sequencing that can be used in various facets of biological sciences. The core provides its services to all Georgia Tech labs, academic collaborators and research groups from industrial settings.

Histology Core
Histology allows the visualization, identification and the qualitative and quantitative analysis of cellular and tissue morphology. One of its primary mission is to serve as a training platform for students.  Students are trained by a certified histologist to perform their own work.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Core
NMRI-MR is a core facility for high resolution. MRI studies with the following focus: Molecular imaging, cardiac imaging, development of new contrast agents and biomedical engineering.

Microcomputed Tomography Core
Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is an X-ray imaging technique used for high resolution, nondestructive assessment of materials including musculoskeletal tissues and engineered biomaterials.

Optical Microscopy Core
The Optical Microcopy core provides state-of-the-art microscopy systems as well as training and assistance to the research community at Georgia Tech and the surrounding area. Confocal, 2-Photon, Lightsheet, live-cell, super-resolution, TIRF, FCS, FRAP, FRET and many other techniques are available in the core.

Neuroscience Core
The neuroscience core facility, called the Neuro Design Suite, is a state of the art facility for neuroscience research, which consists of three major rigs which allow researchers to perform manual and/or automated in vitro and in vivo patch clamping, in vivo extracellular electrophysiology recording.

Systems Mass Spectrometry Core
The Systems Mass Spectrometry core is a state-of-the-art facility that provides both proteomics and metabolomics core services. Proteomics services include protein identification of simple and complex mixtures, relative protein quantification, and protein characterization. Metabolomics services include both targeted assays for many analyte classes as well as untargeted assays to evaluate the entire metabolome in biofluids and tissues.

Core Facilities Manager

Steve Woodard

404-894-5981