Research Support
Letter of Support Requests
The Advanced Genomics Core is happy to provide letters of support for grant applications. Email advanced-genomics@umich.edu to request a letter. Please include your name and affiliation, the type of application you are submitting, the title of your proposal, the core services you will be using, and a brief description of your project.
Facilities and Resources
The University of Michigan operates the Biomedical Research Core Facilities, a University-wide resource that provides state-of-the-art technical services for UM researchers. These Core Facilities include: Advanced Genomics, Epigenomics, Bioinformatics, Transgenic Mouse Production, Embryonic Stem Cell Lab, Vector Core, Flow Cytometry Core, Molecular Biology Stores, and others.
The Advanced Genomics Core is a shared resource that provides advanced molecular technologies to support the full range of biomedical research conducted at the University of Michigan. The core was created in 1993 as an automated Sanger sequencing facility, and since then has established an excellent reputation for high quality and cost-effective service work. Over the years, we have dramatically expanded to include a wide variety of other genetic analysis services, including microarray systems (Illumina), single cell platforms (10x Genomics, seqWell, Parse Biosciences, MissionBio) and next generation sequencing (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore). We can prepare more than 10,000 libraries a year and can accommodate more than 1500 Single-Cell samples per year. The Core now occupies over 10,000 square feet of pre- and post-PCR laboratory space and employs 23 FTEs to provide researchers with access to next generation sequencing, genotyping, epigenetic, and gene expression analysis technologies on a recharge basis. Our people and processes are supported by a custom Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), providing sample tracking, data Q/C, data processing and automated data distribution. Computational and informatics support is provided by a dedicated IT staff of five full-time individuals.
Major Core equipment:
| ABI QuantStudio 12K Flex | Illumina NextSeq 2000 | Qiagen QiaCube robotic prep (2) |
| ABI StepOne qPCR systems | Illumina NovaSeq 6000 | Qubit 2.0 fluorimetric system |
| Agilent 2200 TapeStation | LabChip GX Touch | Qubit 4.0 fluorimetric system |
| Agilent 4200 TapeStation | Leica CM1860 Cryostat | Qubit Flex fluorimetric system (2) |
| Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100 (3) | Life Technologies Countess II cell counter | Sage BluePippin preparative PFGE |
| Biological Safety Cabinets (2) | Low-speed tabletop centrifuges (numerous) | Savant speed-evaporator (2) |
| Covaris ML230 DNA fragmentation system | LUNA Fx7 Automated Cell Counter | Tabletop microfuges (numerous) |
| Eppendorf EpMotion 5075 robot (2) | MilliQ IQ-7000 Water Purification System | Tecan Freedom EVO robotic workstation |
| gentleMACS Octo Dissociator with Heaters | MissionBio Tapestri | Thermal Cyclers (numerous) |
| High Speed microplate shaker (2) | Molecular Dynamics 96-well Fluorimeter | RWD Cryotome |
| Hybridization ovens (5) | nanoString GeoMx DSP | UV PCR workstation hoods (2) |
| Illumina iScan system with Autoloader 2X | Nanodrop ND1000 spectrophotometer (2) | 10x Genomics Chromium System (2) |
| Illumina MiSeq sequencer (2) | Olympus BX51 Epifluorescence Microscope | 10x Genomics Chromium X System |
| ONT GridION | 10x Genomics CytAssist System |
Rigor and Reproducibility Statement
The Advanced Genomics Core employs multiple mechanisms to ensure rigor and reproductivity in the daily operations of the facility. All samples are subjected to quality assessment upon entering the facility and customers are provided with guidelines for determining if they want to proceed with downstream assays. Core methods are well documented in the form of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and assays include appropriate positive and negative controls and contain at least one quality control step to verify success of the method. AGC equipment are subjected to instrumentation management plans, which include preventative maintenance as recommended by the manufacturer. Before release of files, data are subjected to quality control steps, which include verifying that instrumentation performance met manufacturers specification and initial data processing steps that ensure assay reagents worked as expected.
Budget estimates
Next generation sequencing projects have lots of options, our website tool is excellent for playing with project parameters and obtaining estimates.
Experimental Design and Project Consultation
The Advanced Genomics Core holds weekly office hours for project planning and consultation. Please reach out to us if you would like to discuss how our technologies can be applied to your area of research.
Acknowledgements
Most core services use advanced technologies that are both complex and expensive. While we offer these in a fee-for-service format that typically does not warrant authorship, we appreciate the expertise our AGC Research Specialists bring to the University of Michigan Research Enterprise. Please support our team by acknowledging AGC services in your publication with a sentence such as the following: “Library prep and next-generation sequencing was carried out in the Advanced Genomics Core at the University of Michigan.”
For studies that include our single cell or spatial transcriptomics services, please also add the following: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institutes of Health under Award Number P30CA046592 by the use of the following Cancer Center Shared Resource: Single Cell and Spatial Analysis Shared Resource.