The infrastructure at the MedUni Vienna enables researchers from all areas to implement their research ideas and projects with the required tools and highly-specialised technologies.
This infrastructure can also be used for projects and cooperation by external researchers. The varied installations at the MedUni Vienna thus guarantee adhering to the strict guidelines of Good Scientific Practice and the Ethics Commission. Of course, even the extensive university library with its wide medical knowledge is provided to all students, employees and researchers of the MedUni Vienna.
Core Facilities
Cost-intensive and highly-specialised technologies are accessible to all researchers of the MedUni Vienna with the set-up of four “Core Facilities”.
The Core Facilities for Genomics, Proteomics, Flow Cytometry and Imaging at the Medical University of Vienna provide scientists with easy access to state-of-the-art high-end equipment and cutting edge technology to address highly sophisticated research questions. The Core Facilities are operated by excellently trained and highly experienced staff that is well prepared and willing to assist researchers with their expertise in planning and streamlining the experiments in order to optimize the use of available resources. In addition the Core Facilities see it as their task to constantly develop and establish new techniques and methods to ensure that future needs and demands of the scientific community can be met efficiently and with high quality standards.
Ultra-High-Speed Sorting & High-End Analyses of biological material:
The through-flow cytometry is an essential and common procedure for the examination of biological materials. In order to be able to use this technology to the fullest, comprehensive experience and technical know-how are required. Core Facility Flow Cytometry centralises technical equipment with experienced staff and offers ultra high-speed sorting and high-speed analyses and flow imaging for this purpose.
Microarrays & Next Generation Sequencing:
Core Facility Genomics is a service facility for characterising genetic causes of common ailments by means of high-throughput analyses. Core Facility Genomics offers expressions and DNA variation analyses based, among others, on Affymetrix GeneChip Microarray Technology and Illumina HiSeq 4000 Sequencer Platform, the last named in close collaboration with the Biomedical Sequencing Facility. The service offer also includes project planning, laboratory implementation and data analysis and interpretation.
Laser scanning, fluorescence & transmitted-light bright light microscopy:
Core Facility Imaging is equipped with two Laser Scan Microscopes from Zeiss, a slide-scanner (TissueGnostics), a live-cell microscope and several fluorescence & transmitted-light bright light microscopes. A number of very different techniques are offered in the imaging area to successfully resolve complex problems in vitro, in situ and in vivo Core Facility Imaging provides highly modern technical equipment for different microscope technology. A small unit with two rotary microtomes and one cryomicrotome is also found in Core Facility Imaging besides the area of microscopy. Compounds brought along can be cut here. The facility offers a cell culture laboratory for conducting live-cell experiments.
Instrumental Analysis of Proteins and Peptides:
The Proteomics Core Facility advises and supports researchers at the Medical University of Vienna in planning and conducting experiments in which protein analysis is required. Mass spectrometry is the key technology used by the Proteomics Core Facility to identify and characterise proteins from complex samples. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are optimised and redeveloped to target optimal results. Since the measurement result also depends strongly on the database search, the Proteomics Core Facility uses software of the latest generation.
Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Technology
Research projects are supported by the Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering with technical support, prototype development and regulatory advice for medical devices. The Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Technology has a range of technical facilities for supporting scientific work at the university:
- Mechanical workshops
- Plastic technology
- Prototype creation
- Software development
- Support for Medical Devices and Regulatory Affairs
Moreover, the center offers a range of services which are also available to facilities external to the university: for support in research and development activities with technical expertise and infrastructure and in implementing prototypes: extensive technologies are provided at the center; they are sufficient for hardware and software development via mechanical production up to the 3D print-out of CAD/CAM technical or anatomical objects. They can be used for creating prototypes as part of research projects, patent registrations and external orders.
Biobank of the MedUni Vienna
The Biobank of the MedUni Vienna consists of three cooperating areas and is responsible for the storage and preparation of bio-material. The Biobank is understood as interface between fundamental and clinical research with the objective of providing research of new diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers, risk markers and therapy strategies, and to give greater detail understanding of disease etiology and pathogenesis.
It considers itself obligated to the principles of Good Scientific Practice and academic research as service facility of the Vienna Medical University. Being aware that excellence in clinical research case can only be realised with the corresponding ethical standards, the information or approval of subjects is a pre-condition for including in a project of the Biobank of the MedUni Vienna. In addition, this also means handling the provided biological material responsibly and guaranteeing the private sphere of the participant test subjects.
The three biobank institutes
The KILM (Clinical Institute for Laboratory Medicine) is ISO 9001:2008 certified and stores samples (blood, blood derivatives like serum, plasma, PBMC’s; urine and other body fluids). Researchers find consultancy and planning of biobank projects and support with planned laboratory analyses of all kinds.
The MedUni Wien Biobank KIP (Department of Pathology) provides centralized biobanking services for human tissues and viable cells (fresh-frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue, corresponding data). Prospective, quality-defined sample collections are established within biobanking projects (corporate planning and conduct) for internal and external use. Project governance depends on project type and size.
Researchers get access to tissue, blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples of patients with neurological and psychiatric diseases for academic medical research at the KIN (Clinical Institute for Neurology). Researchers can also create prospective collections of neurological bio-samples (tissue, blood,cerebrospinal fluid).