Facilities

The Laboratory of Integrative Neuroendocrinology is very well positioned in conducting cutting-edge research in comparative endocrinology. We have a fully functional ~2000 sq. ft. lab, which includes a dedicated cell culture suite (two Thermo HeraCell incubators and a Type II biosafety cabinet, digital cell counter, centrifuges, water baths), molecular biology equipment including real-time PCR machine and gel imager, Western blot systems, immunohistochemistry suite, and a fluorescence microscope and imaging system. Suraj Unniappan is also the faculty-in-charge of the WCVM core Endocrinology Laboratory that has all instruments required for conducting a vast range of hormone and metabolite measurements, including gamma and beta counters, ELISA plate readers and an Immunlite analyzer. We have a well-equipped histology and microscopy core unit that has fluorescence, TIRF, confocal, and transmission electron microscopes, and imagining software. The WCVM molecular biology core facility has modern equipment including bioanalyzers, and microarray plate readers. The WCVM Animal Care Unit (ACU) is an exceptional facility. Rodents are maintained in a recently renovated vivarium that has ample space for maintaining rats and mice, goldfish and zebrafish, and has several procedure rooms. Aided by Suraj Unniappan’s CFI-JELF award, we now have the most advanced Comprehensive Laboratory Animal Monitoring System (metabolic cages) for in vivo metabolic phenotyping studies in rats and mice, in a dedicated room in the WCVM-ACU. In addition, we have a transgenic mice facility in College of Medicine’s D-Wing Laboratory Animal Services Unit.

In addition to these, we are located in a Veterinary School, which has advanced clinical and research equipment for research in domestic animal endocrinology. The University of Saskatchewan is also home for a number of research centres and National Research Council’s Plant Biotechnology Institute. We could access facilities in these agencies and centres if required. For example, DNA sequencing is routinely conducted in the NRC – PBI core facility. Overall, we have or have access to all facilities required to maintain excellence in our chosen research area.