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Major facilities

The University of Sydney has extensive state-of-the-art laboratories and research facilities. These include:

Advanced Imaging Facility

 Advanced Imaging Facility:an image from the deconvolution microscope.

Advanced Imaging and Molecular Biology facilities contain state-of-the-art equipment to support research activities of the Bosch Institute. Major equipment includes advanced imaging systems, confocal microscope, deconvolution microscope, laser capture dissection microscope and a single cell imaging system.

 

Australian National Genomic Information Service

We host the Australian National Genomic Information Service, which provides DNA sequence and genome information. The service is web-based and is provided to 170 university departments and CSIRO divisions throughout Australia.

Australian Neutralising Antibody (NAB) research facility

The Westmead Millennium Institute became host to the first Australian Neutralising Antibody (NAB) research facility and began its first tests for NABs on February 1. The laboratory's role is not only to discover which Australian Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients have high NAB concentrations, but also to build a database so researchers can discover more about NABs and MS.

Australian Proteome Analysis Facility

Australian Proteome Analysis Facility

The Australian Proteome Analysis Facility is dedicated to working together with international, national and local pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural and academic bodies with the aim of using new technologies to aid in the discovery of therapeutic, diagnostic and quality markers for these industries.

The Biomedical Node of the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility is housed within the School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences.

Other facilities at the School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences include NMR spectroscopy, microscopy, protein analysis and X-ray crystallography.

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Brain & Mind Research Institute

The Brain & Mind Research Institute (BMRI) at the University of Sydney has been developed to provide a unique campus for the integration of the full spectrum of clinical and basic neurosciences in Australia.

The activities of the BMRI are orientated around five major clinical areas, namely, youth mental health, child developmental disorders, psychotic disorders, dementia and multiple sclerosis. Each has developed major clinical and basic research programs with strong national or international leadership. The programs all share access to new and vibrant clinical spaces, research laboratories and state of the art molecular imaging and animal behaviour facilities.

Clinical research laboratories

Clinical research laboratories located at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Chatswood and Lower North Shore Family Health Centre, Lidcombe.

On site at Lidcombe at the Australian Stuttering Research Centre is equipment (Respitrace) for the study of respiratory physiology in those who stutter.

The Heart Research Institute has facilities in Vascular Physiology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. This includes vascular ultrasound and other advanced techniques for the study of early arterial damage.

Electron Microscope Unit

Electron Microscope Unit

Our Electron Microscope Unit is the largest and most advanced facility offering microscopy and associated analytical services in Australia.

The unit incorporates the Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis.

The EMU is the main headquarters for the Nanostructural Analysis Network Organisation, Major National Research Facility (NANO-MNRF), built through collaboration within our and other universities.

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Excersise and sports facilities

Movement laboratory

Research in the School of Exercise and Sport Science is conducted in a range of world-standard sport science laboratories.

The Biomechanics laboratory houses an 8 camera, 5 force plate, motion analysis system that has the capacity to analyse complex three-dimensional movements in real time as the athlete executes the motion on an Olympic running track that passes through the laboratory.

Environmental conditions can be precisely controlled in the Climate Chamber which can be adjusted from - 15 to 50 Celsius and 5 to 95% humidity while a wide range of physiological parameters are monitored.

The Delta Sleep Research Unit is a two bedroom apartment that uses the Compumedics Sleep Monitoring System to study the effects of sleep on human performance.

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Medical Foundation Building

The Medical Foundation Building is a vibrant research environment with cutting edge facilities and infrastructure.

The new Medical Foundation Building will host the nucleus of the University's research endeavours in biotechnology, with researchers from relevant disciplines including genomics, proteomics, microbiology, informatics and the neurosciences. Academic and industrial research groups will work together at the cutting edge.

Pharmacogenomics at Medical Foundation Building

The Pharmacogenomics and Drug Development Laboratory undertakes studies on the molecular regulation of human genes by drugs, hormones and other agents, as well as human pharmacogenetic factors that give rise to individual variation in drug action and drug response. Cell based assays for high throughput evaluation in the molecular action of novel drugs are in place. Genotyping and phenotyping of human CYP drug oxidases is undertaken to relate clinical efficacy of drugs to therapeutic outcomes.

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Molecular facilities

Research facilities at the School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences include:

  • Analytical Ultracentrifugation
  • Circular Dichroism Spectropolarimetry
  • Fluorescence Microscopy
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • NMR Spectroscopy
  • Protein Production and Purification
  • Transgenic Mouse Facility
  • X-Ray Crystallography

The MS/NMR facility is used by a large number of researchers to aid in the elucidation of new bioactive pharmacologial compounds as well as natural product identification and quantitation of metabolites from patient samples and for researchers involved with both clinical trials and hospital patient monitoring. Also involved is contract research with industry.

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Research Unit of Transfusion Medicine and Immunogenetics

The Reseach Unit of Transfusion Medicine and Immunogenetics has recently been established within the Australian Red Cross Blood Service - NSW and is affiliated with the Central Clinical School.

The research unit has a strong commitment to improving the outcome of organ transplantation, and to the development of tests for the accurate prediction of organ graft survival. The activities of the Unit cover the following major areas of research:

  • Population genetics, anthropology and the identification of new alleles using novel state-of-the-art technologies.
  • Genetics of cellular antigens on leucocytes and red blood cells and investigations of their role in graft survival and transfusion reactions.
  • Development of recombinant human monoclonal antibodies suitable for blood grouping and the identification of platelet antigens relevant to clinical transfusion.
  • Cellular and serological assays to predict the outcome of bone marrow transplants and the survival of solid organ grafts, including the identification of immune cells that produce regulatory proteins.
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Strathfield Breast Centre

Strathfield Breast Centre

The Strathfield Breast Centre was established 15 years ago and has been delivering comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of all breast diseases. Today they continue to offer multidisciplinary state-of-the-art care and are totally committed to early diagnosis with minimally invasive techniques such as ABBI and Sentinel Node Biopsy leading to high rates of breast conservation and good survival from breast cancer.

Effectively, the Strathfield Breast Centre operates the Breast and Endocrine Outpatient service for Concord Repatriation General Hospital. It is also an academic unit of Sydney University.

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