Basic Infrastructure Instruments

Basic Infrastructure Instruments

Please acknowledge the SIP core facility ( RRID: SCR_018986) in publications, on posters, or in talks if you use any instruments in the SIP core facility. Please include SIP's RRID (RRID: SCR_018986) and the grant numbers for instruments funded through instrumentation grants in your acknowledgements. This is a requirement from the funding agencies and is crucial for future funding. Find example text on theÌýAcknowledgement PageÌýor the individual instrument pages.

Basic Infrastructure Instruments

SIP provides essential instrumentation for biological and biomedical research. This well-maintained infrastructure includes key equipment such as centrifuges, autoclaves, sonicators, high-pressure homogenisers, biomolecular imagers, and UV/VIS spectrometers, among others. These resources play a critical role in supporting the research of numerous groups at CU Boulder, many of which are funded by the NIH and other agencies. The availability of this equipment enables researchers to prepare high-quality, reproducible source materials such as proteins, DNA, and RNA, as well as experiment-specific samples, ensuring the robustness of their studies.

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Ultracentrifuges

Beckman Coulter Optima XE-90 Ultracentrifuge

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  • Three floor ultracentrifugesÌý
    • One Beckman Optima XE - 90 Ultracentrifuge
    • Two Beckman L8-70 Ultracentrifuges
  • Three table top ultracentrifuges
    • One Beckman Optima MAX-TL Table Top Ultracentrifuge
    • Two Beckman TL-100 Table Top Ultracentrifuge
  • Available Rotors

High Speed Centrifuges

Beckman Avanti JXN 26 Super Speed Centrifuge
  • Three BeckmanÌý Avanti JXN 26 Super Speed Centrifuges

Please acknowledge NIH grant R24OD033699-01if using the Avanti JXN 26 Super Speed Centrifuges.

  • Two Sorvall RC-5C Plus Centrifuges
  • One Beckman J2-21 Centrifuge
  • One Beckman Avanti J-20XP Centrifuge
  • One Beckman Allegra 6R Centrifuge
  • Available Rotors


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Cell Lysis and Homogenisation

Q500 Sonicator

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  • Q500 Sonicator from QSonica
    • Tips: Ìýa 1/2" Macrotip , a 1/8" Microtip, and a 1/16" tapered Microtip
  • Sonicator 4000 from Misonix
    • Tips: Ìýa 1/2" Macrotip ,Ìýa 1/8" Microtip
    • Sound enclosure
  • Emulsiflex C3 Homogenizer from Avestin for cell rupture

  • BioSpec BeadBeater

    • Homogenizing chambers: 350 ml Polycarbonate chamber, 350 ml Aluminium chamber, 50 ml small Polycarbonate chamber
    • Ice water jacket

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Geometric Viability Assay (GVA)

GVA is a high throughput cell viability assay for microbiology. Akin to the classic CFU assay, GVA measuresÌýthe number of viable microbes in a sample based on countingÌýdiscrete colonies. The classic CFU assay uses a dilution series to measure viable cell concentrations across the many orders of magnitude that exist in nature; but this comes at the expense ofÌýtime and resources. In contrast, GVA leverages the geometry of a cone to allow nature to run the dilution series for you at 30X the speed!

Lear more here: ÌýGeometric Viability Assay (GVA)

Illustration of waste reduction by GVA compared to conventional plate best CFU assays
Exsample of GVA in pipette tips

Source: Ìý Meyer CT, Lynch GK, Stamo DF, Miller EJ, Chatterjee A, Kralj JM. Nat Microbiol. 2023 Dec;8(12):2304-2314.

Miscellaneous Additional Basic Research Infrastructure Instrument

  • 6l Lyophilizer from Labconco with up to 10 ports
  • Two Model LS-3801 Liquid Scintillation counters from Beckman
  • Abbe Mark II Refractometer from Reichert Analytical Instruments
  • Avanti Polar Lipids Mini Exturder for the preparation of large, unilamellar vesiclesÌý