Lab Resources

SpillaneLab research group has an extensive collection of lab equipment and resources to enable for research. Our research groups is extensive with skillsets in bioinformatics, geospatial mapping and gene-editing.

Plant Growth Facilities | Microalgal Growth Facilities | Cell Culture and Storage | Gene Technologies and Microscopy | Bioinformatics

Plant Growth Facilities

  1. Walk in CERs: Two purpose-built controlled environment room (CER) for cultivation of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The CER has cool white fluorescent strip lighting (120- 150µmol/m2sec light intensity), temperature (16-25oC) & daylength control, ventilation/cooling system, and watering system adapted for the growing of large numbers of Arabidopsis thaliana plants on a six-weekly cycle. CER1 has a capacity of approx 2800 individual Arabidopsis plants grown to maturity, while CER2 has a capacity of approx 1900 plants.
  2. Reach in CERs: The Genetics and Biotechnology lab also has 4 reach-in growth chambers (Snijder Scientific & Conviron) for growing a wider range of plant species, including Arabidopsis thaliana.
  3. Seed storage chamber: Weiss Gallenkamp Seed storage chamber supplied with an air drying system to remove humidity for storage of seeds at a level of 15%rh at 4°C.
  4. Variable-temperature chambers: For growing Physcomitrella patens and C-fern, and for performing heat- and cold-stress experiments.
  5. Laminar flow hood (plant): Constant flow of HEPA filtered air over the work area protect the working environment from dust and other airborne contaminants. 
  6. Microtome, fluorescent and dissecting microscopes: with live camera imagining and LED-illumination.

Microalgal Growth Facilities

The Genetics and Biotechnology lab has established a purpose built microalgal growth room for culture of microalgae and diatoms at different scales and under different environmental conditions including marine pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. The microalgal growth room contains a Laminar Flow cabinet for sterile culture of microlagae and a microalgae growth chamber (Snijder Scientific). It is equipped with a photosynthetic efficiency analyser OXYTHERM (Hansatech, UK) and access to University of Galway’s core flow cytometer facilities.

Cell Culture and Storage Facilities

Mammalian Cell Culture Facilities

  1. Laminar air flow mammalian tissue culture cabinets: Laminar flow hoods with a constant flow of HEPA filtered air over the work area protect the working environment from dust and other airborne contaminants.
  2. CO2 incubator: Temperature and CO2 controlled incubator cabinets provide ideal environment for mammalian cell culture
  3. Mammalian Tissue culture inverted microscope with Digital imager: Mammalian cells grown in petri dishes/tissue culture flasks often  need to be viewed from the bottom of the dish. This requires the microscope to be inverted, with the microscope objectives pointing upward, and digital camera imager attached at the top provides a strong imaging tool for cell culture data capture in real time.
  4. Mammalian Cells phenotype functional assays: The Genetics and Biotechnology lab is well equipped for functional work with mammalian cells, including assays to screen for biological effects such as cell proliferation, cell invasion, cellular apoptosis, cytotoxicity and viability assays.
  5. Turner Biosystem Modulus 96 well plater reader: The 96 well plate Microplate Luminometer is a state-of-the-art microplate luminometer that meets the requirement for high sensitivity and broad dynamic range that is necessary for chemiluminescent and bioluminescent applications. They also armed with Single or Dual Auto Injectors, capable of performing both flash and glow-type luminescent assays.

Bacterial & Yeast Growth Facilities

The Genetics and Biotechnology lab has a range of bacterial and yeast growth facilites/equipment such as replica plater, temperature controlled incubators (static and shaking) and designated laminar air flow cabinets.

Biological Storage Facilities

  1. Seeds: Weiss Gallenkamp Seed storage chamber supplied with an air drying system to remove humidity for storage of seeds at a level of 15%rh at 4°C.
  2. Mammalian cells: Statebourne Biorack N2 storage container.
  3. Microalgal cells: Statebourne Biorack N2 storage container.

Gene Technologies and Microscopy

  1. DNA & RNA Analysis: The Genetics and Biotechnology lab has excellent facilities for molecular biology of plants, mammals, microalgae and microbes.
  2. Next-generation sequencing: The lab outsources its next-gen sequencing work to sequencing service providers such as the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI).
  3. Affymetrix microarray facility: Dedicated facilities for carrying out microarray analysis using lab’s Affymetrix genechip scanner 3000, Affymetrix fluidics station 450, Affymetrix hybridation oven 640.
  4. PyroMark Q24 machine: for real-time, sequence-based detection and quantification of sequence variants and epigenetic methylation. The PyroMark Q24 can be used for the analysis of CpG methylation, SNPs, insertion/deletions, STRs, and variable gene copy number for real-time, sequence-based detection and quantification of sequence variants and epigenetic methylation.
  5. Real-Time PCR Detection System: The CFX96 optical reaction module converts a C1000™ thermal cycler into a powerful and precise real-time PCR detection system. The CFX96 system’s solid-state optical technology maximizes fluorescence detection for specific dyes in specific channels, providing sensitive detection for precise quantitation and target discrimination.
  6. Gel imaging: for fluroscent applications using a Synegen G-Box, facilities for running and imaging tall gels and Western blots. 
  7. Partec Cyflow ploidy analyser: Used for high resolution DNA analysis ploidy analysis and genome size with DAPI by UV LED and PI by green laser excitation.
  8. Fluoresent microscope: Olympus XC10, X-CITE series 120, for analysis of samples. 

Bioinformatics

ICHEC Supercomputer: The Irish Center for High End Computing (ICHEC) supercomputer based at University of Galway, is used by the Genetics and Biotechnology Lab  for whole-genome bioinformatics approaches combined with functional genomics.