Research services and infrastructures

Drug development

• The Bioanalytical Laboratory develops methods and provides quantitative drug concentration measurements in preclinical and clinical samples in a GLP-certified environment for drug development and research purposes.
• Preclinical in vivo services
  The University of Turku provides in vivo services to external clients like pharmaceutical companies and other research institutes. The university also offers the possibility to conduct experiments that fulfil the GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) requirements. Applying for the project authorization for the research experiments may be included upon request.
• Turku Center for Disease Modeling
  TCDM provides expertise and state-of-the-art research facilities in studies involving experimental animals to support preclinical research for academic and industry purposes.
• Turku PET Centre - Our services for industry
  Starting from the tracer development, we offer complete solution for PET R&D by combining versatile radionuclide production and advanced radiochemistry with wide-ranging preclinical imaging and cutting-edge clinical research.

The Cell Imaging and Cytometry core (CIC) provides a wide variety of imaging solutions that enable visualisation of your biological sample be it tissue, cells or other biological material. We are the organisation in Turku with the latest technologies and highly trained staff that meet your imaging needs, be it macro scale imaging of tissues, super resolution imaging, multiplex and single cell sorting and analysis.

Center of Evolutionary Applications (CEA) is a service unit based in the Department of Biology. We provide support for researchers at the Department, and also offer genetic research and analysis services for external customers. Our services include DNA/RNA extractions, microsatellite analysis, RAD-seq, qPCR, environmental DNA analysis (eDNA), DNA library preparation, metagenomics, Sanger and next-gen sequencing and methodological optimizations.

Finnish Functional Genomics Centre is a core facility for Next generation sequencing (NGS) based genomic analysis methods and a testing laboratory no. T351 accredited by FINAS Finnish Accreditation Service (accreditation requirement SFS-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017). FFGC provides NGS based services for genomic analyses, transcriptomic analyses, methylation sequencing and amplicon sequencing. These methods can be used to study for example drug induced gene expression changes in cells.

Histology core facility provides methods for study of cell and tissue specimen of experimental animal and human origin. The services include tissue processing, preparation of paraffin and frozen blocks and sections, and visualization of tissue and cellular structures using histochemical and immunohistochemical stainings and detection methods.

The Infectious Microbes service unit provides research and product development for projects that require the use of infectious microbes (natural microbial strains and genetically engineered (GMO) microbes).

The Protein Structure and Chemistry Core Facility provides structural analysis of biological macromolecules and their complexes. We use X-ray crystallography as the main technique to obtain structural information. Our instrumentation can be used for protein and small-molecule crystallography as well as for powder diffraction. Data can be collected in-house and in synchrotrons. In addition, we offer protein crystallisation, protein quality control, analysis of protein structures, design of mutants, protein-ligand docking, and structure predictions with homology modelling and AI.

Single Cell Omics Facility
Gene expression profiling from liquid samples at the single-cell level enables the determination of the samples' cell type composition and the measurement of cellular responses to drugs or other treatments.

Turku Centre for Chemical and Molecular Analytics (CCMA)
The CCMA can offer a broad range of both NMR and ultra-sensitive mass spectrometry services that allows for the screening of ligand binding to proteins for example and detect ion of ultra-low biomolecules such as steroids. These assays can be performed by our in-house staff or by trained users on site.

Turku Protein Core provides researchers and companies with access to vast basic and advanced protein research instrumentation and know-how. We offer protein production, purification and characterization as a service and answer all your protein-related questions.

Turku Screening Unit Lab Automation Site
Our facility can support assay development, assay validation, automated sample preparation, assay set up and screening of library compounds. These are important steps in early stage drug discovery that require access to infrastructure and expertise that we can offer.
We cater for both solution assays and cell-based assays, including the use of dynamic imaging in 2D with wide field microscopy. From the end of 2024, dynamic volume imaging with minimal sample perturbation will be available using a customized high-throughput light sheet microscopy. These methods can be useful for R&D in the area of tool development, target validation and early-stage drug discovery. Consulting services can also be provided.

The Zebrafish Core
Zebrafish is an in vivo model for toxicity and efficacy studies for pharmaceutical and chemical industry, which needs rapid testing of compounds in an in vivo model to facilitate faster development of compounds.
Zebrafish Core offers testing of small-molecules in zebrafish embryo in vivo model. The service is especially suitable for pharmaceutical and chemical industry developing new chemicals and drugs to test initial in vivo efficacy and/or toxicity.

Core Facilities of the Institute of Biomedicine maintain institute´s equipment and keep up with the state-of-the-art methodologies and technologies. Core Facilities offer equipment, data management, analysis and other expert services to institute´s personnel, universities and companies upon request and contract.
 

MARI – Materials Research Infrastructure
The Department of Physics and Astronomy provides advanced surface analysis capabilities, including imaging surface topography using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and mapping elemental composition with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). For more detailed chemical analysis, such as determining the bonding states of atoms in solid materials, we offer X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS/ESCA).
We provide companies with expertise in measurement and analysis using these methods. Additionally, we offer user training, enabling independent use of the equipment upon successful completion.
MARI also offers companies and university researchers access to various other analytical methods, including spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction. [Learn more.]

Turku Centre for Chemical and Molecular Analytics (CCMA)
The CCMA provides both NMR and mass spectrometry analysis to characterize small to medium sized molecules for a range of life science applications. We can provide a broad range of different analysis from REACH to full molecular characterization via NMR. We also offer quantitative NMR and MS services. All our instruments can also be bookable by businesses if required.

Image data team
We are a dedicated open access service for image data analysis and management for both academic and industry customers. We belong to Finnish Advanced Microscopy Node (FiAM) of Euro-BioImaging. Contact image-data@bioimaging.fi

Turku PET Centre - Our services for industry
Starting from the tracer development, we offer complete solution for PET R&D by combining versatile radionuclide production and advanced radiochemistry with wide-ranging preclinical imaging and cutting-edge clinical research.

Flavoria® is a multidisciplinary research platform and, at the same time, a unique lunch restaurant, café, and snack shop. The research conducted in Flavoria focuses on producing new scientific knowledge and consumer understanding for the sustainable development of both society and businesses.

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