Research facilities and equipment

The Guy Hilton Research Centre Hartshill site, opened in 2006 and the final phases were completed in 2008. The GHRC is linked to and supports existing Keele laboratories and extensive facilities for MSc and PhD students, to create a base for the Institute’s academic and NHS members and their teams, all under one roof.

GHRC laboratories house the facilities for successful current programmes such as:

• development of SIFT-MS technology for breath analysis,
• development of magnetic nanotechnology in therapeutics and diagnostics,
• upgraded facilities including GMP and MCA approved facilities for human cell therapy for the tissue engineering programme,
• a class 100 clean room for supporting sample materials research,
• molecular facilities which further provide support for the Genomics suite.

Plus generic laboratories for multi-disciplinary expansion with new staff members in Keele's Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy and Bioengineering.

• Whole-genome analysis and expression to be characterised through an Affymetrix workstation and microarray facility in addition to equipment for real-time PCR analysis.
• High-throughput sequencing (ABI) and mutation analysis based on Wave (Transgenomics) and Pyrosequencing technologies.
• Cell sorting and cell cycle (FACS) analysis.

These include category 3 culture suites, secure insectaries, fluorescence microscopy unit and dark rooms, dedicated molecular biology and biochemistry laboratories, insect cell culture facilities and a cold room.  Odour separation, identification of components and insect response to them is assisted by laboratories containing a mass spectrometer, facilities for single cell recordings and a wind tunnel.

CAEP

Recent refurbishments have provided coherent research facilities and laboratories for structural biology.

The facilities include a new purpose-built X-ray room, a protein biochemistry laboratory, a walk-in cold room, a graphics room (PCs, SGI O2+s, SGI Octane) and a dedicated resource room. They are adjacent to new research laboratories provided for the Keele Medical School with equipment and resources shared between the two. Access to the SRS, ESRF and Diamond is provided through the Midlands UK Protein Crystallography Consortium.

Keele University and the University Hospital of North Staffordshire purchased a state-of-the-art  PET/CT Scanner in 2013.

A Service Level Agreement allocates dedicated PET time to our researchers and UHNS clinical trialists. For information please contact Andrea Clarke, Directorate Manager for Imaging at UHNS (Andrea.Clark@uhns.nhs.uk).

We are developing novel imaging technologies such as 4D Electromagnetic Tomography, which is ready for first trials with stroke patients.

We offer a high level service in microscopic techniques for anyone interested in exploring the invisible microworld of the small. Services include visible and electron microscopy, image processing and slide making.

Central Electron Microscope Unit

We offer a range of mass spectrometry equipment now based at Huxley Building on Keele campus.

The equipment includes a 4800 MALDI TOF/TOF and 3200 QTRAP tandem quadrupole mass spectrometers, with nanoflow HPLC interfaces.  Access charges are applied either for an entire project at grant submission, or on an ad hoc basis.

Proteomic Mass Spectrometry Facility

To create an integrated research training environment we have placed facilities for postgraduates at the heart of our buildings.

At the Guy Hilton Research Centre there is a large study suite for PhD/MPhil/DM students with 24/7 access and WiFi, and a dedicated room to host MSc students. In addition to meeting all the training requirements for Research Council and industry sponsored research students, we hold Marie Curie Early Stage Training site and Training Network funding from the European Commission, for regular visits of PG students and staff from our collaborators.