The research focus of AMBRA includes common diseases with major impact on individuals and health care worldwide. Therefore, projects and topics relate to cancer, metabolic, fertility and cardiovascular diseases, autoimmunity, inflammation, neurological and regenerative pathophysiology. Researchers of the AMBRA faculty are project leaders and principle investigators in a number of joint projects within CBmed. Therefore, cooperative work within academia and industry with enthusiastic clinical and basic researchers will contribute to the doctoral education at the Medical University of Graz. Students are introduced not only to clinical procedures and innovative therapeutic approaches, but also to a broad range of knowledge from basic research to applied technologies. CBmed will also encourage all its industrial partners to invite AMBRA students to their facilities as thesis projects can benefit from technologies at the respective partners. A large variety of state-of-the-art instrumentation and facilities are available to the participating research groups which provide an excellent basis to AMBRA students to pursue their thesis projects. The rectorate of the MUG, the AMBRA faculty and CBmed warrant access to all facilities and lab equipment be granted to all AMBRA students, available infrastructure and core facilities include:
- ISO-certified facility for cDNA- and oligonucleotide microarrays
- Genome Sequencer FLX System
- Automated tissue microarray system
- Laser-capture microdissection system
- Immunostainer for high-throughput immunohistochemistry
- High-performance computing infrastructure including database searches and de novo sequencing (Mascot, SpectrumMill, Bioworks, Peaks, ProteinScape, BioTools)
- Confocal/two-photon and deconvolution laser-scanning microscopy, live cell imaging and a protein localization database
- Electrophysiology and patch clamp facilities
- Mass spectrometry facility for proteome (2D-DIGE, nano-HPLC, LTQ-FT-ICR-MS, MALDI-TOF-TOF, MALDI spotter, gelspot-cutter, laser fluorescence gel scanner) and lipid analyses (FPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS), high resolution MS: UHPLC Orbitrap Q Exactive, LC - LTQ Orbitrap XL, LC - Exactive MS, Triple Quad MS: GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS
- Hamilton MICROLAB® STAR Liquid Handling Workstation
- Cellix, Cell-IQ and Cell Observer live cell imaging systems
- Animal facility for the generation and maintenance of transgenic and knockout mouse models (IVC system), a Minispec NMR analyzer, and a microCT
- FACS Fortessa for multicolour quantification and access to the Center of Biomedical Research: FACS Aria for sorting of stained cells, FACS LSR for quantification (3 laser), FACS Canto and Coulter Navia for quantification
- Protein Biomarker: MSD Quickplex ECL imager
- Access to the Biobank Graz
- Access to the clinical and research labs and infrastructure of the respective faculty members
