QU Health Core Facilities

Microscopy is of great importance in all fields of biological research. The Imaging Core Facility is equipped with high-end imaging technology, that allows the study of cells and tissues at the macroscopic, cellular, and sub-cellular levels. Image processing software associated with confocal and fluorescence microscopes enables the 3-dimensional and 4-dimensional reconstruction of biological samples and analysis of the sample images in astonishing detail.

Proteins are a major component of all living organisms and fulfill many different vital functions. Proteomics is now an important part of basic biological research and will continue to be so in the future. Detailed knowledge of biochemical networks will simplify the search for drug development targets. The QU Health Proteomics Core Facility provides a full proteomic infrastructure for the identification and study of biomolecules. This includes various platforms for protein and peptide separation, high-end mass spectrometry and complete biophysical characterization biologically active compounds.

Flow cytometry is a technology that measures and analyzes the optical properties of mono-dispersed single particles, such as cells, bacteria, picoplankton, microbeads, yeast, platelets, nuclei and other similarly-sized particles, passing single file through a focused laser beam.

The Flow Cytometry Core Facility at QU offers access to high-end FACS analysis and state-of-the-art cell sorting capabilities, actively providing researchers with adaptive setups and expert support across many disciplines.

The Pathology Core Facility (PCF) is a centralized, comprehensive, core laboratory providing histology, immunohistochemistry, molecular analysis and extraction, and microscopic evaluation services for tissue-based studies.

The PCF provides expertise in a broad spectrum of morphologic studies required for interpretation of disease processes with variety of assays, including tissue processing, sectioning, histologic stains, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, microscopic photography, morphometry and data analysis.

The Analytical Core Facility is a growing, state-of-the-art analytical laboratory that was established to enhance the research productivity within Qatar University and the State of Qatar in the area of drug discovery and development.

Research in the Analytical Core Facility at QU focuses on areas related to medicinal chemistry, such as small molecule development, natural products isolation and characterization, organic synthesis, and rational drug design.

Zebrafish Facility (BRC): Zebrafish have several advantages compared to other vertebrate models used in modeling human diseases, particularly for large-scale genetic mutant and therapeutic compound screenings.

Drosophila Facility (H10): Drosophila melanogaster, known colloquially as the fruit fly, remains one of the most commonly used model organisms for biomedical science. For more than 100 years, the low cost, rapid generation time, and excellent genetic tools have made the fly indispensable for basic research.

Chick Embryos Facility (I06): The chick embryo is easy to access and observe and is therefore an attractive model to study developmental processes. In the early stages, chick embryo morphology is very similar to human. The chicken and human genomes share considerable homology.