Researchers from our University have been awarded new funding that will extend and develop the range of imaging facilities in the University’s Bio-imaging Suite in the Microscopy and Analysis Suite (MAS).
The £380,000 grant from medical charity Wellcome Trust, will be used to purchase an advanced cell sorting instrument equipped for multi-colour analysis capable of the rapid sorting of different cell types and populations.
The application involved Professors Will Wood, David Tosh and Robert Kelsh from the Department of Biology & Biochemistry, and Professors Steve Ward, Melanie Welham and Dr Giordano Pula from the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology.
The funding application focussed on the common technical requirements of investigators with shared interests, spanning the regulation of the immune system, tissue development and regeneration.
Professors Steve Ward (Left) and Will Wood (Right).
Professor Wood, who led the grant application, said: “Analysis of molecular and cellular events in different cell types is crucial in modern life sciences research.
“This new instrument will provide an unprecedented capability to purify and work with cell types that often make up a small percentage of the overall population and are not accessible by any other means.”
“It will help us to achieve a better understanding of fundamental biological processes and the changes that characterise associated disease states. It is also important for the development of new therapeutics.
Professor Ward, who co-led the grant application, added: “This successful grant reflects the strength, depth and quality of cross-department collaborations within the University in life sciences research and would not have been awarded without the commitment of the University to contribute towards the purchase and installation of this vitally important equipment.”