The Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry (SCIF)
The SCIF provides stem cell researchers at UC Merced and throughout California access to advanced instruments, techniques and collaborators for single-cell analysis. The SCIF is housed in a facility with 4,260 assignable square feet, which includes Class 1000 and 100 clean rooms for micro/nano fabrication, facilities for human and mouse stem cell culture, quantitative cell imaging and workstations.
The SCIF is unique because it provides a range of microfluidic-based systems enabling researchers with no prior knowledge of micro/nano techniques to custom-design devices online to their specific needs, rapidly adopting cutting edge research technologies. The SCIF is equipped with advanced "collaboratory" technology to connect researchers to online support, workshops and collaborators. Ancillary core services include materials characterization, vivarium and computational biology.
The foundry will enable innovations in biotechnologies that will lead to new discoveries about stem cells -- discoveries that will enable researchers to increase our understanding about the molecular signals that influence the properties and behavior of stem cells.
The foundry will also provide new opportunities to develop molecular tools and approaches that will be broadly applicable for basic and applied science and regenerative medicine.
