Students taking classes outside on the Clarkson campus

Biomolecular Science - Facilities

Facilities

Faculty and students have the ability to utilize state of the art instrumentation housed within the Chemistry, Physics and Biology Departments located in the Cora & Bayard Clarkson Science Center and Biotechnology Wing. In Addition, many of the faculty members utilize the electron microscopes and clean room located in the Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP). 


Molecular Biology

  • Digital gel photography systems for recording results of gel electrophoresis
  • Thermocyclers for amplification of DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
  • Gene Pulser Electroporator for rapid transformation of genetically engineered bacteria
  • Bellco hybridization ovens for incubation of Southern blots with nucleotide probes
  • X-ray film processor for detection of autoradiographic and chemiluminescent signals
  • Luminometer for analysis of transient transfection with luciferase reporter genes
  • Spectrophotometers for measurement of DNA and RNA concentrations
  • Beckman centrifuges for fractionation of macromolecules

Protein Chemistry

  • Liquid Scintillation Counter for quantification of radioactive labeling
  • Chromatography Unit for separation of macromolecules by size, shape, charge and affinity
  • Savant SpeedVac for concentration and purification of dilute protein samples
  • BioRad Gel Dryer for agarose and PAGE gels
  • Pharmacia PhastSystem for rapid separation of protein samples
  • Multiple high pressure liquid chromatography systems for protein purification
  • Bilayer system for studying kinetics of drug and ion channel interactions
  • Spectrofluorimeter for detection of fluorescent molecules and quantification of protein-protein interaction
  • Silicon Graphics Fuel workstation with Insight II software for modeling biological molecules in three dimensions

Cell Biology

  • Multiple inverted photomicroscopes and fluorescent microscopes
  • CO2 incubators for maintenance of cell and tissue cultures
  • Shaking incubators for bacterial cell cultures
  • Laminar flow hoods for manipulation and transfer of cell cultures
  • Biosafety hoods for manipulation of human tissues and pathogens
  • Cryomed Freezers for cryopreservation of cells in liquid nitrogen

Physiology/Behavior

  • Polygraphs for recording of nerve impulses
  • WPI High Impedance Amplifiers for recording of intracellular action potentials
  • Actographs for monitoring of activity from invertebrate animals
  • Recirculating Seawater System for maintenance of living marine specimens
  • Biopac Physiology hardware and software for analysis of EKG and EEG
  • Patch clamp system for analysis of single cells
  • Extremely fine pipette maker to pull micropipettes for probing single cells

Ecology

  • R/V Lavinia 25 ft, 2 x 150 hp, Boston Whaler/Challenger, 25 mile radar, marine radio, DGPS; for large lake and St. Lawrence River work
  • R/V Raquette 16 ft aluminum v-hull 25 hp boat for small lake and river work
  • Ponar and Ekman Benthic Dredges for collection of invertebrates
  • Percival Programmable Incubators for culture of plants and insects under natural light and temperature cycles
  • Coulter Multisizer 3 for plankton size enumeration and sizing
  • Fluoroprobe submersible fluorometer for characterizing pigmented plankton communities
  • YSI multiprobe submersible conductivity, temperature, depth, pH, dissolved oxygen sounder with 100 ft cable; for characterizing water column properties in lakes
  • R/V Santa Clara 14 ft aluminum flat-bottom row boat for shallow water work
  • Turner Designs model AU-10 fluorometer for detection of colored dissolved organic matter, chlorophyll and other phytoplankton pigments, with flow through cell

Biophysics

  • Atomic force microscope