BMB General Facilities

The BMB department has modern biochemical and molecular biological research equipment, including visible-ultraviolet recording spectrophotometers, spectrofluorometers, DNA synthesizer, circular dichroism spectrophotometer, FPLC, Silicon Graphics molecular modeling system, DNA array, real-time PCR system, stopped-flow reaction analyzer, liquid scintillation counters, gamma counters, ultracentrifuges, various kinds of electrophoresis equipment, phosphorimager, gas-liquid chromatographs, high pressure liquid chromatographs, and tissue culture facilities. NMR, mass spectrometry, and biocontainment facilities are available for departmental use. A modern, well-equipped laboratory animal facility is also available.

Center for Genomics Research
Director: Dr. Michael Markey

The Center for Genomics Research (CGR) is a research center of excellence at Boonshoft School of Medicine. CGR's primary mission is to provide support and core facilities for Wright State research faculty engaged in basic and clinical research in the areas of gene expression, flow cytometry, and genotyping. CGR works to facilitate research collaboration through its affiliation with the Genome Research Infrastructure Partnership (GRIP), a regional consortium of academic and commercial research centers in southwestern Ohio. In both missions, the goal is to expedite understanding of the genetic basis of human diseases. The center strives to cultivate collaborations between basic and clinical researchers at Wright State through training of personnel, collaborative projects undertaken at CGR, and joint grant submissions involving researchers and CGR members.

CGR grew out of the Gene Expression Laboratory (GEL), which was started in 2000 when Wright State and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base invested in an Affymetrix GeneChip System. The GeneChip system employs DNA microarrays capable of monitoring global changes of gene expression, sequencing large regions of DNA or genotyping polymorphic DNA loci.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Laboratory
Director: Dr. Nicholas Reo

The WSU Magnetic Resonance Laboratory houses two research instruments: (1) a 8.5 Tesla Wide-Bore (89 mm clear bore) 360 MHz NMR System equipped with a Tecmag Discovery Console; and (2) a Varian INOVA 600 NMR Spectrometer.

The 360 NMR system has various Bruker commercial probes for proton, fluorine, and broadband capabilities. This system is also used for NMR studies in vivo and is equipped with several home-built probes that can accommodate mice or rats.

The Varian INOVA 600 is equipped with:

1. a triple resonance inverse probe (1H/13C/X),
2. a broadband observe probe with a 13C/1H decouple channel (X/13C/1H),
3. an Inverse Nanoprobe for 1H MAS spectroscopy in small volumes (40 ul),
4. a variable temperature unit (FTS Systems, XR401 Air-Jet Crystal Cooler, -40 °C to +100 °C), and
5. a Zymark XP Robotics Sample Changer (50 sample capacity.)

Center for Cellular Dynamics and Engineering
Director: Dr. Oleg Paliy

The center was formed in the fall of 2004 as a joint initiative between Wright State University and Wright-Patterson Air Force Research Laboratory. The Center is focused on studying cellular control mechanisms and evaluating their potential biotechnological uses. Current areas of concentration include systems biology and synthetic biology of microorganisms. One major focus, called the Cell-Like Entity project, involves understanding and building biologically-based micro-systems that will in turn help develop novel capabilities for the Air Force.

Initiative for Biological Computation
Director: Dr. Gerald Alter

The purpose of this Initiative is to advance biological computation in the College of Science and Mathematics, the Boonshoft School of Medicine and Wright State University by: a) facilitating and enriching research involving biological/biomedical computation, b) recruiting and training students in the evolving areas of biological/biomedical computation, and c) serving the College, the School, the University and the community by facilitating collaborations among researchers within Wright State University and the larger community.

The Initiative undertakes several activities to accomplish its purpose. It encourages formation of a critical mass of collaborating researchers by enhancing computational resources available to support seed projects and collaborations in biological computation. The Initiative has established venues for regular communication among its members including seminars. Members of the Initiative recruit graduate students in conjunction with the Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Program and mentor them in the Program’s Structural and Quantitative Biology Area of Concentration.