IDIBELL
Core facilities

The IDIBELL Core Facilities include a set of centralized platforms dedicated to developing and providing research resources to assist campus biomedical researchers. Our research facilities offer a number of services, ranging from genomics or proteomics to our animal facility. Specific hospital associated platforms, such as biobank and clinical trials are also a hallmark. Through these different resources, we supply equipment and instrumentation, technical expertise and training to promote innovative, cutting edge research. They are accessible on a basis of fee for service to the entire IDIBELL community, as well as external institutions and private companies.

Animal facility

Genomics & Cytomics

Biobank

Statistical Services

Proteomics

Molecular interactions

Clinical research and clinical trials

Animal facility

The animal facility is located at Hospital Duran i Reynals covering an area of 800m². It is a space pathogen-free (SPF) and houses animals of immunocompromised and genetically modified strains. It develops two main lines of research: oncology procedures and murine models of human diseases. IDIBELL animal facility complies with European, national and local authorities related to the use of animals for experimentation. Thanks to its safety and quality policy is fully accredited by AAALAC International (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International). It has an Animal Ethics Committee that supervises the entire program of animal’s care.

Staff

Head of the unit
Joana Visa / Rosa Bonavia

Biobank

The HUB-ICO-IDIBELL Biobank is a scientific platform of IDIBELL integrated in National Biobank Network Platform of ISCIII and authorized by Health Department from Generalitat of Catalonia in 2013. Their activities include collection, process, storage and distribution of human biological samples and associated data, with research aims, ensuring compliance with quality, legal and ethical requirements. Currently, the biobank stores the most relevant biological collection of University Hospital of Bellvitge and the Catalan Institute of Oncology, such as nervous system tissue, tumor bank, nephrology, and oncology samples. Facilities include areas for freezer storage at -80°C and -190°C, equipped with 23 ultrafreezers and one nitrogen tank, as well as a wet laboratory for sample processing.

118596
samples stored in 13 collections
2938
provided samples in 2016
28
research projects involved in 2016
Staff

Coordinator
Fina Climent

Technicians
María Orea
Josep Gardenyes

Genomics & Cytomics

The Genomic Platform provides researchers with technical support on several gnomics techniques, such as Sanger DNA sequencing, gene expression analysis, genotypes / discover variants, digital PCR, and preparation of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-compatible libraries. The available equipment of the Genomics Platform consist of an ABIPRISM 3130XL Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystmes), a 7300Real Time PCR System (Applied Biosystmes), a LightCycler 480 and a LightCycler 96 (Roche), a 100Bioanalyzer (Agilent) and the High throughput Biomark Platform (Fluidgim). The Cytomics Platform provides technical support for cell population analysis using its Coulter Cytometer (Gallios Beckman).

1209,5
cytometer working hours in 2016
2198
genotyped samples in 2016
Staff

Head of the Unit
Vanessa Cervera

Clinical research and Clinical trials

The UICEC (Clinical Research Unit and Clinical Trials) from IDIBELL provides services to support clinical researchers, especially in the field of clinical trials from independent sponsor (methodological support, regulation, monitoring and pharmacovigilance). The unit is part of the Platform SCReN (Spanish Clinical Research Network) from the ISCIII (call AES 2013) and is the coordinator of their pharmacovigilance program nationwide. SCReN is linked to the European network ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network, currently ECRINERIC).
The UICEC has its own personnel from the ISCIII platform and adscribed to HUB, ICO and IDIBELL.

23
active clinical trials
10
collaborations in competitive scientific reports
Staff

Head of the unit
Josep Maria Arnau

Coordinator
Marcela Manríquez

Proteomics

The IDIBELL proteomics core facility provides a full infrastructure for protein identification, characterization and quantification using mass spectrometry based proteomics approaches. The main activities of the facility are protein separation, protein identification from simple to highly complex matrices, protein characterization (analysis of post-translational modifications) and protein level quantification (TMT, iTRAQ, SILAC, Label-free).
The proteomics unit is equipped for various high-resolution mass spectrometry instruments: LC-MSMS system Amazon Speed ETD Ion trap (Bruker) coupled to nano-HPLC Proxeon II and UltraXTreme MALDI TOF-TOF, two dimensional electrophoresis and Surface Plasmon Resonance Biacore T200 . IDIBELL Proteomics Units belongs to the Spanish “Plataforma de Recursos Biomoleculares y Bioinformáticos Programa de Proteómica” (ISCIII AES-2013-PRB2) and the Spanish Human Proteome Project Chr 16 Consortium (SpHPP) (targeted proteomics S/MRM and sequencing groups), an initiative of the Human Proteome Project.

4
projects in which the unit collaborated in 2016
Staff

Head of the Unit
Carolina de la Torre

Statistical Services

The Statistical Advisory Service provides support to researchers to conduct studies requiring statistical support from the early stages of research to data analysis and interpretation of results. The service includes timely statistical support, as the resolution of doubts, focus of analysis or review of the adequacy of the data. It’s involved in the ongoing projects and issues related to the design, development of databases and analytical support. It works seamlessly with the clinical trials platform UCICEC, which gives statistical advice and support to clinical trials. It also offers courses and seminars to internal and external researchers.

2198
requests received
8.6
overall user evaluation in 2016
Staff

Head of the Unit
Víctor Moreno

Coordinator
Cristian Tebé

Molecular biointeractions

The Biomolecular Interaction Unit, set up in October 2016, offers scientific-technological support in the field of  interactions by means of Superficial Plasmon Resonance (PRS). This technology allows researchers to detect and monitor almost any type of biomolecular interaction in real time and without any type of marking. High precision measuraments of affinity, kinetic constants, specificity of union and concentrations in solution can be made.

1272
usage hours (since October 2016)
5
collaborating projects (3 internal + 2 biotech/pharma companies)
Staff

Head of the Unit
Sïlvia Barceló