Scientific-Technical Facilities

Cellular Interactions Platform

1. Service definition

The Cellular Interactions Platform consists of a robotic pipetting system designed for handling genetic libraries (dilution, aliquot generation, etc.), drug collections, and fungal and yeast strain collections. Additionally, it includes a robotic system that enables continuous cultivation of yeast and bacterial strains under controlled temperature and agitation, as well as the measurement of optical density or fluorometric signals emitted by fluorescent markers expressed in the analyzed strains. Thanks to the versatility of the equipment and the expertise of the staff, custom experiments can be designed to meet user needs.

 

 

2. Available services

 

  • High-precision growth curve generation (OD/fluorescence).
  • Growth assays for mutant strains compared to wild-type controls.
  • Drug testing assays.
  • In vitro evolution assays (yeast and bacteria).
  • Cellular competition experiments.
  • In vitro activity assays (fluorimetry).
  • User access control (authorized user registration).
  • Technical assistance for users requiring support.
  • Collaboration in the development/update of protocol.
  • Preparation of media, solutions, and materials for protocols.
  • Supervision during protocol execution.
  • Preventive maintenance/cleaning of specific equipment.

 

3. #Staff & contact

 Platform manager technician:

 Sandra Romero Sánchez

 E-mail:  sromsan@admon.upo.es

 

 

4. Equipment

The platform includes a Freedom EVO® 150 base unit (TECAN) robotic system, equipped with a Spark® Multimode Microplate Reader and a thermoregulated incubation module, as well as two additional Spark® Multimode Microplate Readers, a SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer, static and orbital incubators, -80ºC freezers for strain storage, and a 96-well electrophoresis system.

  • Robot Freedom EVO®
  • Spark® Multimode Microplate Reader (TECAN)
  • SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer
  • 96-Well Electrophoresis System
  • Orbital and Static Incubators.
  • Ultra-Freezers.
  • Additional Equipment.

6. Publications and web resources

 

Publications:

Ruiz-Romero, G., Berdún, M.D., Hochstrasser, M., Salas-Pino, S., Daga, R.R., Limiting 20S proteasome assembly leads to unbalanced nucleo-cytoplasmic distribution of 26S/30S proteasomes and chronic proteotoxicity in fission yeast, iSCIENCE (2024), DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.111095

 

Resources:

EvoWare Manual (TECAN): https://www.tecan.com/knowledge-portal/freedom-evoware-software-manual