Cell Biology and Neuroscience Laboratories

Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba
What the facility does

Control of neuronal activity in human disease and health

Areas of expertise

The facility consists of a comprehensive suite of instrumentation that allows researchers to determine the effects of compounds of interest on neuronal function in vivo. Researchers then determine the   molecular mechanisms of such effects, through classical receptor binding and enzymology studies. In combination with infrastructure available elsewhere in the chemistry department (GC-MS, LC-MS, HPLC, electrochemistry) this allows researchers to determine the effects of compounds on neuronal activity and cellular neurochemistry, as well as to identify the molecular mechanisms underpinning the effects.

Research services

Cell culture, Enzyme assays, Receptor binding, Second messenger assays, Membrane permeability assays, Cell death assays, In vivo electrophysiology, In vivo alopecia model

Sectors of application
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment

Specialized lab

Equipment

Function

Cell biology and neuroscience

In vivo electrophysiology with stereotaxic electrode placement, microiontophoresis and electrode pulling capabilities

Recording of single-unit neuronal activity in anaesthetized animals (rats) with the ability to add compounds of interest directly to the neuron being recorded.

 

Level 2 biosafety cabinet and carbon dioxide incubators

Mammalian cell culture, both primary and cell lines

 

SpectraMax M2 microplate reader

Fluorescence, absorbance and luminosity detection in multi-well plate format (up to 384 well plates)

 

Beckman LS5000 scintillation counter

Quantification of tritium and carbon-14 labelled samples

 

48-well cell harvester

Isolation of membrane fragments as part of radioligand receptor binding studies