Facilities & Institutes
USF Institutional Core Facilities
Flow Cytometry Core
Contact: Charles Szekeres, kszekere@usf.edu
Website:
The goal of the USF Fred Wright Jr Flow Cytometry Core is to provide high quality,
friendly service to its users. For analytical purposes, the Flow Cytometry Core is
equipped with two benchtop analyzers from BD Immunocytometry Systems (a 3 laser/8
color BD Canto II and a 4 laser/17 color BD LSR II). These instruments support a large
variety of applications, including multicolor cell phenotyping, apoptosis, cell cycle
and bead arrays. After orientation and training, the equipment is available for use
directly by the investigators. Alternatively, experiments can be run and analyzed
by the Core Facility staff. For sorting purposes, the facility is equipped with a
state-of-the-art BD FacsDiscover S8 spectral sorter (ie, an awful lot of colors) with
imaging capability and a BD FacsAria IIu sorter (4 laser/17 colors), as well as a
magnetic sorter (AutoMacs Pro) from Miltenyi Biotech. The FacsAria IIu is enclosed
in a Baker Bioprotect III to support sort of biohazardous agents鈥� level 1 and 2. Also,
in the MDC3111 core room there are various other instruments, such as gel docks, plate
readers, laser scanners and more available for users.
USF IT Research Technology (High-Performance Computing)
Contact: Jason Hair, hair@usf.edu
Website:
By modernizing its high-performance computing infrastructure, the University of South
Florida provides researchers with faster, more reliable, and more flexible computational
resources to support a wide range of data-intensive and simulation-based research.
The new system enhances USF鈥檚 ability to run complex AI models, analyze large datasets,
and accelerate discovery across disciplines 鈥� from environmental and engineering studies
to biomedical and social sciences. This investment strengthens the foundation for
research excellence, enabling more competitive proposals, higher-impact collaborations,
and faster progress toward innovation and discovery.
USF Advanced Research Core for Mass Spectrometry (ARC-MS)
Contact: Stanley Stevens, smstevens@usf.edu
Website:
The mission of the USF Advanced Research Core for Mass Spectrometry (ARC-MS) is to
foster collaborative, interdisciplinary research that utilizes cutting-edge mass spectrometry
(MS)-based approaches to rigorously investigate mechanisms of fundamental biological
and chemical processes, support discovery and characterization of disease-specific
targets/pathways and facilitate development of therapeutic approaches related to druggable
targets of human disease. Through integration of expertise from various disciplines
within USF, we aim to innovate research across multiple fields, including proteomics,
adductomics, metabolomics (e.g., lipidomics), small molecule characterization, and
drug discovery. The robust research support resource offered by ARC-MS will significantly
advance scientific knowledge and provide a solid foundation for translational research
aimed to enhance healthcare outcomes and patient care.
Dr. Lindsey Shaw, Professor in Molecular Biosciences, has just received two, 5-year
NIH R01 grants totaling over $4.65M and is strongly supported by ARC-MS resources.
Additionally, the new instruments and related methods are now enhancing innovation
and resources within new NIH grant submissions. For example, Dr. Casey Cook, Associate
Professor in Molecular Medicine, recently submitted a multi-PI NIH R01 with Dr. Stan
Stevens entitled "Defining the brain cryptic proteome in Alzheimer's disease", totaling
over $7.2M. Also, Dr. Gopal Thinakaran, Professor in Molecular Medicine and CEO of
Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, recently submitted an NIH R01 proposal entitled
"Epitranscriptomic Control of Alzheimer鈥檚 Pathogenesis: Defining YTHDF1鈥檚 Role in
m6A-Mediated Gene Regulation", totaling over $3.7M.
USF Genomics Core Facility
Contact: Chengqi Wang, chengqi@usf.edu
Website:
Core Introduction
Over the past five years, the USF Genomics Core Facility has supported 74 publications,
contributed to 85 grant submissions resulting in more than 20 funded awards totaling
more than $30 million, and partnered with leading technology companies including Illumina,
10x Genomics, NanoString, PacBio, and Oxford Nanopore. The core also serves as a hub
for education and training, delivering 36 workshops, five major symposia, and multiple
courses that have trained more than 260 faculty, staff, and students. With over 110
active users spanning more than 60 principal investigators, and partnerships with
organizations such as Moffitt Cancer Center, James A. Haley VA Medical Center, and
Nilogen Oncosystems, the Core is a vital driver of innovation and collaboration across
USF and Beyond.
The USF Genomics Core Facility enables researchers to study health and disease at
the finest resolution鈥攄own to individual cells and their interactions within tissues.
This approach, known as single-cell and spatial genomics, is transforming medicine
by showing how disease such as cancer develop, infections spread, and treatments can
be tailored to each patient. To support this work, the Core provides expert guidance
and houses advanced technologies including the Illumina NovaSeq X and MiSeq i100,
the 10x Genomics Chromium X for single-cell analysis, and the Visium HD platform for
spatial genomics. Together, these resources position USF researchers to compete globally
and drive discoveries that improve health in Florida and beyond.鈥�
Impact of IRCF Support
With IRCF support, we expanded the Core鈥檚 capabilities to include powerful new technologies
that allow scientists to study diseases at the level of individual cells and within
their natural tissue environment. These approaches are among the most in-demand methods
worldwide, and by offering them on campus, USF is now positioned alongside leading
research universities in the U.S. and abroad. After installation, we hosted a Spatial
Genomics Symposium with 10X that drew over 95 participants, showing a major increase
in interest across USF. We also launched an internal grant program to give junior
faculty access to these tools, which received 16 proposals鈥攁 strong signal of growing
demand. In addition, we ran two training workshops that taught more than 60 faculty,
staff, and students how to use these methods in both the lab and through data analysis.
Already, more than 10 external grant applications have incorporated use of this new
sequencing platform, directly strengthening USF鈥檚 competitiveness for a wide range
of funding opportunities from federal agencies (NIH, NSF, ARPA-H, VA), state programs
such as the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund, and private foundations. Together, these
activities show that IRCF funding not only expanded USF鈥檚 research capacity but also
elevated its standing as a national and international leader in cutting-edge genomics.
Nanotechnology Research and Education Center (NREC)
Contact: Mike Cai Wang, mcwang@usf.edu
Website:
USF's recent purchase of a Scanning Electron Microscope with Micro XRF and EDS capabilities,
along with a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Microscope, is bound to revolutionize our research
capabilities. These state-of-the-art instruments will enable us to achieve unparalleled
imaging at the nanoscale, allowing researchers to visualize surface structures of
various materials鈥攚hether they be biological samples, metals, ceramics, or polymers鈥攚ith
exceptional clarity. The advanced systems offer sub-nanometer resolution, automated
workflows, and dual-beam configurations that integrate scanning electron microscopy.
This combination will dramatically enhance our ability to characterize and fabricate
samples with intricate nanostructures. As these instruments are essential for understanding
morphology, texture, and structural integrity, they will significantly contribute
to fields like materials science, chemistry, semiconductors, and nanotechnology.