Supporting units

Knowledge transfer and administration

The primary objective of knowledge transfer is to enable widespread utilization of the ideas and solutions generated in BRAINCITY, to benefit the society. The main goal of BRAINCITY is to advance our fundamental understanding of brain disorders that are the most debilitating of human diseases and generate significant societal and economic costs. Thus, as is true for all fundamental research, the path from bench to bedside is long, winding and requires skill set not often found in academia. This expertise in e. g. medical products development, regulatory aspects concerning i. a. manufacturing and clinical practice, logistics etc. needs to be sourced elsewhere, through partnerships.

To address the issue of missing expertise and the visible lack of interest of industry in fundamental research projects from academia, the technology broker provides advisory support from external clinical and industry experts through SPARK Poland initiative. These mentoring activities allow insight in what is needed to implement solutions in clinical practice on one hand, and on the other, enable appropriate preparation of the project to attract external partnerships.

EMPLOYEES

Technology broker

Dorota Gierej-Czerkies

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To enable translation of research findings from BRAINCITY the technology broker supports scientists in several areas including:

  • intellectual property management,
  • preliminary evaluation of ideas’ and solutions’ commercialization potential,
  • building relationships with clinical and business partners, in compliance with internal and external regulations.

Supporting staff

Anna Bryksa

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Supporting staff

Piotr Michaluk

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EQUIPMENT

Two top-notch imaging equipment

Thanks to a special, additional contribution the BRAINCITY project provided competitively by Foundation for Polish Science we have got pieces of two top-notch imaging equipment.

Two-photon scanning microscope capable of two-photon uncaging and FLIM imaging setup is based on Thorlabs Bergamo upright scanning microscope equipped in two switchable objectives 10 x (dry) and 60 x (NA 1.0, water immersion). The microscope has two GaAsP PMT detectors capable of photon counting and together with PicoQuant TimeHarp 260 Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) electronics enables simultaneous imaging of fluorescence intensity and Fluorescence Life Time Imaging (FLIM) in two separate emission channels (GFP and mCherry). FLIM imaging has 25 ps temporal resolution and 25 ns dead time enabling up to 40 MHz peak count rate per input channel. The microscope is capable of fast glutamate or other compound uncaging. Fluorescence imaging is excited by Toptica FemtoFiber Ultra 920 (920 nm laser), while second laser – Spectra Physics MaiTai (tunable laser 690 – 1040 nm) is dedicated for uncaging. This setup allows for stimulation of excitatory synapses in a manner mimicking their action during learning and memory as well as simultaneous imaging of individual, fluorescently labelled proteins.
Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) is a technique that allows for fast volumetric imaging of large samples such as the whole mouse brain. The samples are optically cleared to render the tissue transparent and facilitate 3D imaging of centimeter-sized specimens with sub-micrometer resolution. In our Laboratory we use the light sheet microscope to image brain organoids, fish, mouse and rat brains and other organs including heart, mammary glands and muscles. We use c-Fos, an immediate early gene protein product, to detect neurons responding to novel stimuli and create functional activity brain maps of animals under different behavioral conditions. We use brains from transgenic animals to create structural brain maps of cells of different identities. Since illumination with light sheet has low phototoxicity, we can also image in vivo sensitive samples such as brain organoids.For imaging in or Laboratory we use two LSFM set-ups. Since 2015 we have a self-built LSFM set-up equipped with 4 × detection objectives with maximum WD of 6 mm. Since 2021 we have an UltraMicroscope II (Miltenyi Biotec) set-up equipped with 1.1 ×, 4 ×, 12 × and 20 × detection objectives allowing for imaging in a wide range of solutions including aqueous buffers and organic solvents. The set-up is also adapted for live imaging of samples in a temperature-controlled chamber.

CORE FACILITY

Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) Core Facility

Moreover, as a part of BRAINCITY project, induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) Core Facility has been established. This core facility has been fully equipped to provide multifunctional utilization of iPSCs technology. For high standard sterile cell culture 3 laminar flow hoods (all equipped with vortexes and suction pumps) and 4 incubators were bought. To pick up iPSCs colonies under laminar flow hood EVOS microscopic system can be used. Possibility to use also fluorescence in microscope under laminar flow hood, will be especially useful during picking up colonies after modification with i.e. with CRISP/Cas9 system. Additionally, some cell incubators are also equipped with CO2 resistant orbital shakers to differentiate iPSCs to organoids. Besides, iPSCs core facility is equipped with basic laboratory accessories such as fridge, freezers (-20oC, -80oC), water bath, vortexes, centrifuges, short spins and ice machine. In summary, created iPSCs Core Facility provides all equipment necessary for reprogramming, maintenance, modification and differentiation of iPSCs. Additionally, all abovementioned equipment provides independent functioning of the core facility. Creation of this facility enable researchers within BRAINCITY to successfully implement iPSCs in their projects.