PROTEIN PRODUCTION PLATFORM (P-CUBE)

The facility in EMBL Heidelberg (HD) offers expertise and support to use modern fluorescence/light microscopy techniques. EMBL HD platform combines the expertise in protein expression, purification and biophysical characterisation of the EMBL HD Protein Expression and Purification Core Facility (PEPcore) with the expertise of the Advanced Light Microscope Facility (ALMF). EMBL HD can provide expression vectors for different fluorescent proteins, fluorescence labels, and chemical reagents to produce fluorescently labelled biomolecules for light microscopy analysis in vitro and in vivo. Users can collect fluorescence data, process and evaluate them using optimal equipment and software under the guidance of highly experienced light microscopists. The combination of protein expression and advanced light microscopy facilities in the vibrant scientific environment of EMBL HD is a unique resource in Europe. The project aims to make this resource available.

More information can be found here

Modality of access and work

Users and staff will plan the experiments (e.g. microscope access) and required reagents prior to the visit. At the facility users will be helped to produce material (e.g. protein expression in different cell lines for in vivo analysis, recombinant protein production for in vitro studies, chemical labelling of protein). Subsequently, they will use the appropriate microscopes (fluorescent-correlation spectroscopy (FCS), fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), fluorescence energy transfer (FRET), particle tracking and co-localisation). An average user will stay 4 weeks (2-8 weeks depending on the problem) to prepare sample, do the light microscopy analysis and process data. In addition, there is the possibility for very few expert users (1-2 per year) with more demanding projects to stay up to three months or repeated visits.

Support offered

EMBL HD: Expert advice for planning labelling and light microscopy experiments by the two facility heads. Technical support and advice by a dedicated (PCUBE) Scientific Officer specialised in fluorescence labelling and light-microscopy technologies. Logistic support at the interface of the Structural and Cell Biology Units.