Welcome to the Preclinical Research Unit! Our mission is to develop and utilize robust preclinical and in-vivo systems for the testing of novel cancer therapeutics. The PRU provides outstanding technical services and a seamless approach in working with the IACUC, DCM, and other core facilities on campus for labs that utilize small laboratory animals in their research. We offer technical expertise with small laboratory animal models for reproducibility of research at UNC, and complete study management as well as individual services to fit your needs. PRU technicians are experienced, highly skilled, and maintain American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Technician/Technologist (AALAS) certifications.

The PSC Facility provides comprehensive, expert, and cost-effective histology and histopathology support to investigators. The facility provides a full range of histological services performed by experienced Pathology Specialists.
Services include routine tissue processing, embedding, sectioning, and staining; specialized histochemical stains; immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence; in situ hybridization (ISH, FISH); tissue microarrays; digital slide scanning; image analysis; and Spatial Biology (protein, RNA) including RNAScope, BaseScope, miRNAScope, GeoMx, PhenoCycler, Visium HD, and Xenium.
The PSC has access to UNC hospital archival tissues and can facilitate acquisition and staining of human samples for translational studies. The comparative and human pathologists are available to help with study design and for nonclinical studies, and microscopic evaluation of research samples.

The mission of the UNC Microbiome Core is to provide the research community with the facilities and expertise to characterize complex microbial communities and microbial interactions. The Core has state-of-the-art instrumentation and extensively trained personnel who provide support from experimental design to data analysis.

Cancer genomics project management and data sharing support facility.

We provide training, assistance and services in light microscopy, electron microscopy and image analysis.

Light-microscopy: We will consult with you about your project, advise on experimental design and sample preparation, and train you to take images. We have experience with laser scanning and spinning disk confocal, light-sheet, widefield fluorescence, darkfield, and polarization microscopy. Tiling, multi-day live-cell experiments, FRAP, FRET and other experimental designs are available.

Electron microscopy: We will consult with you about your project, can prepare your samples, take images for you or train you to take images. Our services include SEM prep, embedding, ultrathin sections, negative staining and immunoEM. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy available.

Image analysis: We can advise and train you to do image processing and data analysis. Imaris (3D analysis), Autoquant (deconvolution) and FIJI (mostly 2D analysis, macros) software available.

We look forward to hearing about your research needs and how we can help. We will strive to understand the details of what you are doing, advise which instruments will most advance your research, train you on the relevant equipment and provide continued assistance. We are here to help you and can consult on all aspects of your project, from sample preparation, to image acquisition and data analysis.

Full service sequencing facility to assist with genetic and genomic research. Part of Integrated Genomics Cores. Offers comprehensive library services, NextGen sequencing and alternative technologies including long reads. Offers library preparations and multiple sequencing platforms including MiSeq, HiSeq, NovaSeq X, NextSeq, BioNano, Oxford Nanopore. Services also include using techniques and data analyses via sister core BARC.

The Bioinformatics and Analytics Research Collaborative (BARC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a multi disciplinary center that aims to provide bioinformatics expertise and analysis to researchers across the university and beyond for high throughput data. We analyze, visualize, interpret, and manage big data while also offering custom solutions to fit our researchers’ needs. Additionally, the center strives to educate researchers on current tools and techniques, foster a collaborative environment by hosting workshops, working groups, and seminars, and improve existing tools and/or invent new tools and algorithms.

The Functional Genomics Core performs expression profiling, SNP genotyping and copy number microarray (Thermo Fisher) services.

Core specializes in production of pure, functional proteins for structural, biophysical, and biochemical studies. Has ability to produce and purify milligram amount of protein.

The UNC Neuroscience Microscopy Core is a center for high-resolution imaging and aims to make this technology accessible to neuroscientists and other scientific researchers.

Goals of the UNC Neuroscience Microscopy Core:

To provide a full spectrum of advanced systems for cellular and molecular imaging of in vitro and in vivo samples.
To implement new imaging technologies, particularly related to real time and tissue clearing based imaging of neurodevelopment and neural functions.
To offer training, consultation, data analysis, image processing, and centralized technical expertise to support the imaging needs of neuroscientists and other researchers.
We are supported, in part, by funding from the NIH-NICHD Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center Support Grant P50 HD103573.

The Translational Genomics Lab (TGL) is a high-throughput core facility within Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s robust research pipeline that performs sample processing for the molecular, pathologic, and genomic characterization of patient-derived specimens using high-end instrumentation and state-of-the-art methods. Service offerings include nucleic acid extraction, gene expression profiling, spatial genomics, next-generation sequencing library preparation, and high-throughput sequencing. Protocols leverage the reproducibility and reliability of automated instrumentation to minimize batch effects and processing errors (e.g. sample swaps). These workflows have been continuously optimized over the last decade, with a sample-to-answer historic success rate of ~90% for the >15,000 FFPE samples TGL has processed.

The purpose of the Human Pluripotent Cell Core Facility is to provide UNC scientists as well as outside collaborators with the services to successfully conduct basic as well as translational research using human induced pluripotent cells. The core offers Reprogramming, Genome editing and directed cell differentiation.

The Nanomedicines Characterization Core Facility implements the mission of accelerating translation of new nanomedicines into clinic by providing comprehensive physicochemical characterization of nanoscale entities. NCore is an open resource and functions on a fee for service basis. We welcome users from academia as well as from industry, government labs and other institutions to utilize our experience and our technological infrastructure.

The Mammalian Genotyping Core (MGC) is a component of the Integrated Genomics Core/High Throughput Sequencing Facility (HTSF) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Mammalian Genotyping Core (MGC) mission is to support population, basic, clinical and translational research by providing centralized cost-efficient, high quality genotyping and methylation services. The MGC provides services using Illumina BeadArray and Infinium microarray assay technologies for Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Genotyping, Copy Number Variant (CNV), Loss of Heterozygosity (LOH), Insertions-Deletion (indel), Structural Variant, and DNA Methylation Analysis. We can assist you with selecting the appropriate arrays to meet your needs. Please contact us to discuss your genotyping and/or epigenetic analysis through a consultation request.

The SGCF at UNC provides access to the Collaborative Cross (CC) resource to the research community. The CC is a multi-parental genetic reference mouse population derived from eight founder inbred strains, encompassing an extraordinary level of genetic diversity. The CC is an ideal population for studying complex traits and for identifying novel models of disease in the context of natural genetic variation. All 63 strains have been sequenced and have much genomic data. All of the CC strains are kept as live mouse strains. The UNC Systems Genetics Core Facility can provide breeding stock (for internal use unless other permission is acquired) or experimental cohorts.

We are CAP Accredited!

The UNC BSP is a centralized, quality-controlled facility and biorepository for the processing, storage and disbursement of human specimens. The facility is geared for high throughput processing of human biospecimens, with specific emphasis on DNA and RNA isolation and purification.

The Facility provides laboratory support for investigator-initiated large-scale clinical, epidemiologic, and other studies. We also function as a human specimen biorepository resource for clinicians who wish to store and study samples from unusual or potentially important patients. Our biorepository is managed by a custom LIMS, with sample accessioning, tracking and audits at each step.

In addition to laboratory services, the facility provides a scientific resource for investigators seeking advice/consultation on study design including specimen collection and storage methods, and human subject issues. Core staff act as a liaison to other UNC core facilities and outside collaborators.

Our mission is to provide a cost-effective UNC facility to process biospecimens from population, clinical, and other studies.

The UNC Department of Chemistry Mass Spectrometry Core Laboratory specializes in small molecule analysis. Our services include, but are not limited to, quantitative mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography separations, fragmentation and structural elucidation (MS/MS, MSn) mass spectrometry, complex mixture analysis, & molecular formula confirmation (high resolution and accurate mass) analysis. The mass spectrometry laboratory provides individualized user training for undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral scholars of the Department of Chemistry. In addition, the laboratory aims to provide the highest quality mass spectrometric services possible to members of the UNC Chapel Hill Department of Chemistry, UNC campus community and surrounding Research Triangle areas.

The facility provides researchers with high quality services for peptide synthesis,

purification, and characterization of synthetic peptides and preparation of custom designed peptide arrays. We specialize in synthesis of multiply modified peptides containing PTMs, unnatural amino acids, and fluorescent tags.

The mission of the Histology Research Core Facility is to provide high-quality, cost-effective and timely histological results to researchers in the UNC system and abroad. This includes performance of existing, and development of new methodology for histological processing, sectioning and staining of both plant and animal specimens and all immunohistochemistry procedures.

he Mac-In-Fac provides instrumentation and resources for characterization of macromolecules and their

interactions using isothermal and differential scanning microcalorimeters (ITC and DSC), surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensors, analytical ultracentrifuges, circular dichroism (CD) spectrometers, spectrofluorometer, fluorescence plate reader, and static and dynamic light scattering instruments.

X-ray crystallography is the principal technique used to determine three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules.

provide consultations and collaborations on research studies requiring computational structural biology methods. The analyses available through the core are not limited to the study of static structures, but also include molecular dynamics studies for analyzing the contribution of dynamic and collective motions to macromolecular functionality.

The Protein Expression and Purification (PEP) core specializes in the production of pure, functional proteins for structural, biophysical, and biochemical studies.

The UNC Biomolecular NMR Laboratory was created to support research into the structure and dynamics of biological molecules. The spectrometers are used to conduct studies of protein and nucleic acids in solution