Scientific Cores

High-Throughput Genomics

The Oxford Genomics Centre  provides:

Guidance and assistance in the choice of the appropriate genomic technology and experimental designs on research and clinical projects.

A comprehensive offering of genomics applications utilising many of the latest cutting edge commercial technology platforms.

• High-Throughput Sequencing (Illumina NovaSeq, NextSeq and MiSeq, ONT MinION, PromethION)
• Genotyping and Methylation Studies (Illumina)
• Expression Profiling (Illumina)
• Single-cell isolation and analysis (10X Genomics, Sony FACS)
• Highly automated processes (Labcyte, Wafergen and Beckman)
• LIMS sample tracking

Bioinformatics and Statistical Genetics

BSG provides advice and support in the following areas:

• Advice on experimental design
• Processing and analysis pipelines for NGS data (Illumina and ONT) and microarrays
• Ensuring high data quality and providing QC reports
• Extensive informatics support for tracking, processing and managing large volumes of raw sequence data
• Training and advice on the use of a variety of bioinformatics tools and analyses
• Collaborating with research groups to perform downstream analyses
• Developing software tools to aid scientists in the analysis of omic datasets
• Evaluating data from trials of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies (e.g. single-cell)
• Assistance with manuscript preparation and submitting data to public repositories

Chromosome Dynamics

Chromosome Dynamics provides:

• A range of different fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) applications
• Related tissue culture techniques
• Probe preparation
• Support with cytological techniques, including Immunofluorescence and Chromogenic RNA in situ hybridization (ISH)

Cellular Imaging

Cellular Imaging provides:

• State-of-the-art laboratories for fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy with technical assistance in digital imaging and quantitative microscopy applied to live cells.
• The Cellular Imaging Core performs research and development of cutting-edge fluorescence microscopy techniques. Lifetime Imaging, Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy and Super-Resolution microscopy approaches are available.
• The Cellular Imaging Core also disseminates knowledge of fluorescence spectroscopic applications to the scientific community.

Transgenics

Transgenics provides:

• Generation of genetically modified mice models
• Gene targeting in embryonic stem cells
• Knock-out and Knock-in construct design
• Generation of Rosa26 Knock-in mice
• Embryo transfer of strains for importing into the FGF
• Cryopreservation of strains
• Assisted reproduction

Biomedical Research Computing

Biomedical Research Computing provides:

• A local facility for high-performance computing across WHG and BDI
• High-performance batch (cluster) computing: Univa Grid Engine with nearly 7000 CPU cores and 60 GPU cards
• Shared use of an extensive suite of >300 properly compiled and installed scientific applications
• Large, fast storage systems: 10PB of Spectrum Scale (GPFS) at up to 50GB/s
• Oxford's only on-premise cloud platform: OpenStack platform with 1200 CPU cores and 40 GPU cards backed by 300TB NVMe Ceph at up to 80GB/s
• A cheap tier of storage for holding old data: currently (Jan 2019) £10.60 per terabyte per six months
• State-of-the-art networking including 100Gbit/s Open Ethernet using Cumulus, EDR (100Gbit/s) InfiniBand and a private 400Gbit/s link between WHG and BDI
• Oxford's only high-compliance secure VDI/cloud platform
• Test-and-dev platforms for OpenStack, oVirt and S3 object storage
• Training and workshops on using these facilities

I.T.

I.T. provides:

• Network infrastructure and server hosting
• Email services
• Network printing
• Shared network storage, data archiving, backup and file recovery
• Secure web hosting
• Remote access facilities (Dial-up, ISDN, VPN and Windows application servers)
• Network, server and workstation security
• End user support