Research facilities
We provide extensive and specialist facilities for research and teaching across the department. As well as individual academic staff laboratories, we house three major research centres.
Key facilities include:
 Light Microscopy FacilityThe Light Microscope Facility (LMF) is a joint unit of BMS and MBB. We offer training and guidance in the use of a wide range of advanced microscopy techniques and systems. Users of all levels of expertise are catered for. We provide a range of confocal microscopes, widefield systems and image analysis software. Read more. |
 Electron MicroscopyThis comprises The Wellcome Centre for Electron Microscopy, the Structural Biology Group facility within MBB, and the Histology and Histochemistry laboratory within BMS. Read more. |
 Electronics WorkshopWe have an Electronics Workshop that assists the development, maintenance and safety of research and teaching facilities. It covers a diverse range of equipment in contemporary biomedical science. Read more. |
 Drosophila Facilities (CDBG)Many complex, temperature dependent genetic experiments are performed on Drosophila. A laboratory is dedicated to servicing these experiments and includes technicians to support the breeding and feeding programs. Read more. |
 Zebrafish Facilities (CDBG)The Zebrafish facility has four independent zebrafish aquarium systems with a total capacity of approximately 23,000 litres. This allows a large number of research groups to undertake a diverse range of experimentation. Read more. |
 Stem Cell Derivation Facility (CSCB )A state-of-the-art clean room facility for the generation and storage of stem cell lines, and master cell banks, for future clinical therapies. Read more. |
 Flow Cytometry (CSCB )CSCB has comprehensive equipment and expertise for flow cytometry and data analysis. Antibody markers for stem cells are generated, purified and conjugated in our antibody preparation laboratory. Read more. |
 High Content Screening / Time-Lapse Microscopy (CSCB )This facility provides high throughput analysis of stem cell cultures and a time lapse microscope culture laboratory that allows for detailed multi-wavelength analysis of cell proliferation and phenotype over extended times in culture. Read more. |
 iPS Laboratory / Viral Transduction (CSCB )This facility is a Class II containment laboratory for the production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) from (human) fibroblasts and other cell types. Read more. |
Screening services
The MRC CDBG Screening Unit (CDBG SU)
The Centre's Screening Unit (CDBG SU) undertakes screening in Zebrafish, a vertebrate model organism that is small in size and easy to maintain and breed. Zebrafish provides a cost-effective means to screen compounds for potential toxic effects in advance of rodent studies or for a desired activity e.g. as potential therapeutics.
The Sheffield RNAi Screening Facility (SRSF)
The SRSF provides a service for RNAi screening experiments in Drosophila cells. Our service supplies whole genome screens at low cost to the wider scientific community. We support plate reader assays and high-content microscopy as well as the equipment needed to process these samples in a high-throughput fashion. This can either be used to identify genes involved in disease representing future drug targets, or to identify genes involved in biological processes.