Scientific infrastructure

Breeding facilities

CMK accommodates fully operational growth infrastructures for organisms of all sizes and with varying conditions that can be controlled (listed from low to high level of control):

• Outdoor mesocosms and a greenhouse
• Fully controlled climate rooms and growth chambers
• Incubators to grow microorganisms
• Cell culture facilities

Equipment for molecular and cellular analyses

• qPCR, ddPCR and pyro-sequencing systems for specific detection and quantification of nucleic acids
• Gel electrophoresis and blotting systems for nucleic acids and proteins
• Qubit and nanodrop to accurately measure DNA, RNA, and protein concentrations
• Flow cytometer, on the one hand to characterize cells, cell cycle dynamics and protein expression on a single cell level, on the other hand to quantify nuclei and their ploidy levels

Equipment for imaging 

• State-of-the-art microscopes to support imaging from morphology to mechanism
• Imaging systems (chemiluminescence, fluorescence) for quantification and image analyses

Equipment for biochemical analyses

• HPLC, ICP-OES and ICP-MS are high-tech analytical systems to identify and quantify specific biological compounds or chemical elements
• Two conventional pyrolysis systems: one lab system at 100 g batch scale and one semi-industrial system at several kgs semi-continuous scale
• Microwave pyrolysis: a lab system at 1 kg scale
• Calorific values of solid and liquid samples are measured as higher heating values (HHVs) with an IKA C5003 calorimeter equipped with an IKA KV 600 Digital water cooler.  Measurements are executed in dynamic mode and the calibration of the system is performed with benzoic acid (palleted, C723)
• Spectrophotometry is used to analyse a broad range of molecules or their activity: concentrations of bacteria or protein, concentrations or activity of biological compounds

Plant physiology equipment 

Environmental Nuclear Technologies

• High Purity Germanium spectrometer (HPGe BeGY) for gamma spectroscopic analysis and Liquid Scintillation Counter (LSC) + dedicated pre-treatment laboratory for analysis of industrial residues, construction materials and liquid materials
• Portable systems & mobile instruments for gamma, neutron and contamination analysis: NaI and LaBr3 scintillators (inspector 1000), CZT (CdZnTe) semiconductor, Gamma camera (Advapix-Timepix 3 CdTe detector), portable small (2 x 5 l plastic scintillator detectors) and large (2 x 25 l plastic scintillators) detection portals, Berthold Neutronen survey detector, Berthold Contamination monitor
• Indoor radon investigation, radon exhalation/emanation from construction materials: Sarad Radon Scout, Sun Nuclear radon monitor, Radon Eye, exhalation chambers and Blower door system for airtightness evaluation

Equipment for Medical Dosimetry

• Electron Paramagnetic (EPR) spectrometer used for assessing the dose delivered to alanine EPR detectors place in patient substitute and validate the accuracy of cancer treatments
• Film scanner A3 document scanner used to 2D dosimetry using gafchromic films
• Ionisation chamber and electrometer that gives us the possibility to perform dose measurements in clinics