Technische Ausstattung
Our labs are in the third floor of the south tower of Hoher Weg 8. In total, we are spread across around 200 m2 labs and 100 m2 offices.
Analytics
For analysis of small molecules, we have access to a variety of state-of-the-art mass-spectrometric platforms. LC and GC each are available in combination with triple quads and qTOFs, giving us the possibility to measure with high sensitivity and high mass accuracy.
The mass spectrometers are furthermore supported by an HPLC and a platereader.
Sample Preparation
A variety of machines is available to support extraction protocols. Solid samples can be dried with a freeze-dryer, we evaporate solvent with a speedvac, and some agressive solvents are vaporized with a multi-channel nitrogen evaporator. All equipment is optimized for high throughput to ensure a constant supply of samples for our analytical platforms.
Plant & Cell Culture
We grow plants, mammalian cells, and bacteria in-house under strictly controlled conditions. For plants and plant tissue culture we have a programmable 16 m2 growth chamber and a 2 m2 phytotron. Greenhouse and field space is available via the biocenter and the institute of agriculture. For mammalian cells and bacteria we use the usual incubators and shakers. Cell culture work is done under security benches to minimize contaminations. The respective laboratories are approved under the German S1-regulation for genetically modified organisms.
Infrastructure
There is a variety of equipment that you only notice when it is missing, such as balances and centrifuges. Furthermore, some machines are operating outside of the lab, e.g. gas generators, water purifiers, autoclaves. Of course we have in-house access to all of them, and some of them should be especially acknowledged here.
Information Technology
A large part of our work is purely computational, e.g. simulations of metabolism, calculation of metabolic fluxes, and automated evaluation of large-scale datasets. For these purposes we have two servers with 48 AMD-cores each. Mass spectrometry data is stored securely in the university's data storage system. Furthermore, all analytical machines, servers, data storage systems, and office computers are connected via Gbit LAN.