FACILITIES

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The Wyss laboratory facilities are organized as Collaboratories, where researchers share space, equipment and support technicians, and staff from different laboratories who are co-located at these sites based on common focus and research activities. This is a model that supports frequent interactions among researchers from various disciplines, more effectively addressing complex, interdisciplinary challenges; it also speeds up innovation and discovery.
Some dedicated space and specialized equipment may still needed depending on project or Platform needs. However, the institute is organized into state-of-the art Enabling Technology Platforms. Below we include a short description of select shared and platform-specific capabilities, relevant to this research proposal.
The Biomimetic Microsystems Platform is contributing state-of-the-art capabilities in microfabrication and microfluidics. This platform has invested in capabilities and equipment that allow researchers to fabricate flexible microfluidic systems for organ-on-chip applications and print macromolecules for multiplexed material screening microassays. Such capabilities include a machine shop, a microengineering team composed of staff scientists and equipment such as the plasma prep etcher used in photolithography or equipment for spin coating. The microengineering team fabricates 100-200 chips of various geometries per week. In addition, work at my mentor’s laboratory lead to the startup, Emulate which is commercializing organs-on-chip for academic and pharmaceutical use.
Machine Shop/ 3D prototyping: The Institute’s machine shop and 3D prototyping capabilities are distributed among both Institute sites and staffed by two dedicated and experienced machinists. Beyond support equipment such as bandsaws, drill presses, and grinders, the Institute is also providing the community with unique multi-scale and multi-material rapid prototyping and Solid Free-Form Fabrication capabilities.
Materials Characterization: The Wyss Institute has organized state-of-the-art materials characterization capabilities for analysis of nucleic acids, oligo-peptides, proteins and other inorganic and organic compounds and surfaces. Equipment includes an Atomic Force Microscope, peptide synthesizer and high pressure liquid chromatography.The Institute supports licenses for a variety of software packages used across disciplines to support prototype design and analysis.
Tissue Culture: Six tissue culture rooms have been established at both Institute sites. Each of these facilities provides access to biosafety cabinets, -20 freezer storage space, refrigerators, centrifuges, cell counters, waterbaths, microscopes, incubators and supplies. In addition, the Institute has a 650 sq ft Primary Human Culture Facility that supports projects, such as the organs-on-chips programs of the Biomimetic Microsystems platform and the automated iPS program of the Biomaterials Evolution platform by providing high quality human cells isolated from primary human tissue biopsies under highly sterile and controlled conditions.
Particularly relevant for this project is an established IRB to work with leukopacks. The institute’s location and close connections with area teaching hospitals are invaluable for obtaining samples and clinical research. Currently, the apheresis packs used for this project are obtained from the platelet donation center at the Brigham & Women’s hospital.
Microscopy : The Wyss provides researchers access to a wide range of imaging equipment and analysis software. The Institute provides instrumentation for basic wide-field light microscopy, TIRF microscopy, confocal microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, Transmitted Electron Microscopy, Small Animal Imaging, and Flow Cytometry. In addition, the Wyss has procured software for analyzing flow cytometry data and process their images in 2D and 3D.
Immunological analyses : The institute provides updated equipment for analysis of cellular phenotype and function with flow cytometry, ELISPOT and traditional and multiplexed ELISAs. One staff member is dedicated to each equipment as a core facilities manager to provide training, experiment design and analysis support. We have a LSR-Fortressa flow cytometry analyser, a MACSquant flow cytometry analyser, several spectrophotometers for traditional ELISAs and 2 systems for multiplexed cytokine analysis (Bioplex and MSD).