Center for Molecular Medicine
Dedicated to understanding the intricacies of cellular signaling, the Center for Molecular Medicine was built on Caltech's successes at the interface of chemistry and biology. It is focused on determining how complex systems of molecules interact to create the pathways that regulate the lives of cells and allow them to respond to their environments. Rather than just studying a complex biomolecule in isolation, an understanding of how it is part of a larger path of molecules is the purpose of its establishment. The Center was made possible by a generous grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
If use of the Center instrumentation has contributed significantly to your research, we request that you cite the Center in the acknowledgments section of your publication. For example: "This work was supported by…, and by the Center for Molecular Medicine at California Institute of Technology."
Instrumentation:
Crellin Room 260 (Bacterial)
- Flexstation 3
- Odyssey
- Nanodrop 2000
- QIAcube
- I2500 KC Incubator Shaker
- Innova 43 Incubator Shaker
- Avanti J-26 Centrifuge
- Ultrospec 10
- -80°C freezer
- Beckman LS 6000SC Scintillation Counter
- Tabletop microcentrifuge
Crellin Room 262 (Mammalian)
- Typhoon FLA 9000
- Amaxa 4D-Nucleofector
- CFX 96 Real-Time PCR Detection System
- Neon Transfection System
- Nikon SMZ1000 Microscope
- Nikon TS100 Microscope
- Clean Bench
- Laminar Flow Hoods
- Mammalian Tissue Culture CO2 Incubator
- Eppendorf Centrifuge 5706
- Refrigerator
- Tabletop microcentrifuge
- Water-bath
Instrument Signup:
The google account associated with the Google calendar:
cccscaltech@gmail.com
Please contact the appropriate GLA for instrument training.
Upon completion of training, the calendar password will be
given to you by the GLA who trained you. If you have already
been trained on an instrument by a Signaling Center GLA,
please contact the GLA who trained you to received the
password.
People in the Facility:
- Faculty members:
Dr. Dennis Dougherty
Dr. Jacqueline Barton
Dr. Peter Dervan
Dr. Linda Hsieh-Wilson
Dr. Shu-ou Shan
Dr. Alison Ondrus
- Lab Assistants:
Elizabeth O'Brien (Barton group)
Rebekah Silva (Barton group)
Kelsey Boyle (Barton group)
Alexis Kurmis (Dervan group)
Stephen Grant (Dougherty group)
Un Seng Chio (Shan group)
Xiang Ma (Ondrus group)
John Thompson (Hsieh-Wilson group)
- Safety Officer
Andy Zhou (Barton group), x3202
azzhou@caltech.edu
Seminars:
Thursday afternoons
151 Crellin
12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Upcoming Seminars:
January 31, 2019 - David Romney
February 7, 2019 - Rebekah Silva
February 14, 2019 - Patrycja Kielb
February 21, 2019 - Elliot Mackrell
February 28, 2019 - George Mobbs
March 7, 2019 - Arash Farhadi
March 14, 2019 - Christopher J. Bley
Information on Instrumentation:
For each of the instruments, please contact the indicated GLA for training or troubleshooting.
Cell Disruptor
The Protein Expression Center (PEC) in the Beckman Institute (room 286) has a new cell disruptor that is free to Signaling Center users. The cell disruptor is a Constant Systems TS Series Benchtop model. Compared to a microfluidizer, this instrument can reach higher pressures for yeast lysis (and easily be used at lower pressures for bacteria). The instrument is equipped with a circulating chiller for cooling to desired temperature, i.e. 4 degrees Celsius.
Contact Andrea Kuipers, BI 202, extention x3568, to set up training (akuipers@caltech.edu). You will be asked to set up an online account with PEC and then submit an order online for training or cell disruptor use. On the site, select the "Protein Downstream Processing" and the "Cell lysis" options. Use of this cell disruptor will be free for Signaling Center users with user fees charged to group-specific Signaling Center PTAs.
Microplate reader with 5 read modes (including absorbance, fluorescence intensity, fluorescence polarization, luminescence, and time-resolved fluorescence) with additional robot functionality (8-channel pipettor) to add liquid reagents.
Quantitative scanning of western blots at 700 and 800 nm.
Contact: John Thompson (Hsieh-Wilson), x8119, jthompso@caltech.edu
CFX 96 Real-Time PCR Detection System
Built upon the Bio-Rad C1000 96 well Thermal Cycler, utilizes filtered LEDs for excitation and is capable of monitoring 450-750 nM excitation/emission wavelength range. This system allows for simultaneous detection of up to 5 different fluorophores per reaction and is sensitive enough to detect one copy of target sequence in human genomic DNA.
Contact: Rebekah Silva (Barton), x3201, rsilva@caltech.edu
Micro-volume full spectrum UV-Visible spectrophotometer for sample volumes as low as 0.5 µL.
Contact: Matt Endo (Ondrus), x6074, mendo@caltech.edu
Fully automated sample preparation of Qiagen spin-column kits (up to 12 samples per run) for purification of DNA, RNA or proteins.
Contact: Rebekah Silva (Barton), x3201, rsilva@caltech.edu
Floor-mounted shaker accepts up to 6-L flasks for culture.
Contact: Un Seng Chio (Shan), x4071, uchio@caltech.edu
Floor-mounted temperature-controlled shaker accepts up to 6-L flasks for culture. Can go down to 5°C.
Contact: Un Seng Chio (Shan), x4071, uchio@caltech.edu
Centrifuge up to 6 1-Liter cultures.
Contact: Un Seng Chio (Shan), x4071, uchio@caltech.edu
Portable spectrophotometer for OD600 readings.
Intended for use as a back-up of individual lab freezers.
Contact: Matt Endo (Ondrus), x6074, mendo@caltech.edu
High-resolution biomolecular imager capable of detecting storage phosphor, chemiluminescence, and multiplex fluorescence with 473 nm, 532 nm, and 625 nm excitation. Analysis done with ImageQuant software.
Contact: Alexis Kurmis (Dervan), x6032, akurmis@caltech.edu
Efficient electroporation of mammalian cells for transfection.
Contact: John Thompson (Hsieh-Wilson), x8119, jthompso@caltech.edu
High efficiency electroporation transfection device for primary cells, stem cells, and difficult-to-transfect cells. It is capable of transfecting 10 or 100 µL volumes.
Contact: Stephen Grant (Dougherty), x6009, sgrant@caltech.edu
Used for dissections and imaging (transmitted light) with the camera attached. Zoom from 0.8 to 8X, in a clean bench to provide a sterile dissection/preparation work space.
Contact: Matt Endo (Ondrus), x6074, mendo@caltech.edu
Used for basic visualization of cultured cells at 10 and 20X, allowing for monitoring and counting cells.
Contact: Matt Endo (Ondrus), x6074, mendo@caltech.edu
Provides sterile environment for sensitive dissections or microscope work.
Contact: John Thompson (Hsieh-Wilson), x8119, jthompso@caltech.edu
Provides sterile environment for mammalian cell work.
Contact: Kelsey Boyle (Barton), x3201, kboyle@caltech.edu
Mammalian Tissue Culture CO2 Incubator
Provides a controlled CO2 and temperature environment for cells during dissection, transfection or passaging done at the Center. It is intended for temporary use, and not long term housing of cultured cells.
Contact: Kelsey Boyle (Barton), x3201, kboyle@caltech.edu
Tabletop centrifuge that can accomodate 15 or 50 mL conical tubes.
Contact: Alexis Kurmis (Dervan), x6032, akurmis@caltech.edu
Beckman LS 6000SC Scintillation Counter
The scintillation counter is designed to provide highly accurate, automated counting of the level of radioactivity in radioactivity-tagged samples. Instrument used to count radioactive samples. Note: New users must complete Radioactivity Safety Training with Haick Issaian (haick.issian@caltech.edu), the Institute Radiation Safety Officer, before getting access to the scintillation counte.
Contact: Rebekah Silva (Barton), x3202, rsilva@caltech.edu
Mailing address
Caltech Center for Molecular Medicine
Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
MC 164-30
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA 91125
USA