What We Do

Molecular Biology Service Unit

Located in room 5-047 of the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS) Building. The Molecular Biology Service Unit (MBSU) is a centralized facility that provides molecular biology facilities to the University of Alberta staff, students, and users outside of the university community.

The MBSU is a teaching resource facility for graduate and undergraduate courses, with tours of the facilities and lectures on the basics of molecular biology techniques available. A variety of equipment for DNA preparation, nucleic acid quantification, and gel imaging is available for use by clients.

Classes and training sessions on MBSU equipment are currently conducted on an "as-needed basis". However, regular short courses may be implemented in the future if demand increases.

The unit is operated on a cost-recovery basis. For more information on the fee structure or to enquire about classes and training sessions, contact the facility director, Anthony Cornish.


Facility Director
Anthony Cornish, PhD
Biological Sciences, Molecular Biology Service Unit, University of Alberta
Phone: 780-492-1066
Email: acornish@ualberta.ca 

On this page, you will find information about the services the MBSU offers, including
Sanger sequencing, fragment analysis, nanopore sequencing, Illumina sequencing, qPCR training, bioanalyzer training, online orders for oligonucleotides, 3D printing, and the retail BioBar.

 

Sanger DNA Sequencing Service

Sanger sequencing by capillary electrophoresis is a cost-efficient and gold standard method to obtain accurate DNA sequence determination for targeted sequencing and result verification from other sequencing methods.

For our default Sanger sequencing service, provide us with your purified template and
primer mix, and we will do the rest!

To use this service, download our online submission form (XLSX, 322KB) and submit the completed form to biombsu@ualberta.ca.

 Important Notes:

  • Please supply your samples, premixed with template and primer together, in 1.5 mL microtubes at the designated concentrations (see Sample Preparation in the READ ME section of the submission form), and drop your samples off at the MBSU Sequencing freezer. 
  • Data files from samples and submission forms received before 8 am will be available the following business day. Refer to our Service Policies under Access Rules & User Policies. 
  • There are no "redo's" with this service. 

If you require another type of Sanger sequencing service (i.e., sequencing difficult templates containing GC-rich regions or hairpin structures), please contact Anh Dao at biombsu@ualberta.ca before submitting any samples.

 

Fragment Analysis Injection Service

Provide us with a 3730XL-compatible 96-well plate containing your fluorescent-labelled samples in Hi-Di formamide and your size standard, and we will run the capillary electrophoresis injection for you.

To use the service, contact Anh Dao at biombsu@ualberta.ca to receive a dye set-specific fragment run text file and instructions before submitting samples.

Important Notes:

  • Our 3730XL sequencer is calibrated for the following Dye Sets & Size Standard:
    • DS-34 (FAM, TET, HEX) & TAMRA Size Standard
    • DS-33 (FAM, VIC, NED, PET) & LIZ Size Standard
    • DS-02 (SNaPshot) & LIZ Size Standard
  • An injection processes 48 samples. Therefore, you will be charged for 48 samples, regardless if you submitted less than 48.
  • Data files from samples and text files received before 12PM will be available the following business day. Refer to our Service Policies under Access Rules & User Policies.

You can order your fluorescent-labelled oligos from our IDT-MBSU portal (for DS-33), or special order your oligos or kits from our Thermo Scientific BioBar (for DS-34 and SNaPshot respectively). Please contact biombsu@ualberta.ca for more details.

 

Nanopore Sequencing Service

This sequencing technology can directly sequence DNA or RNA at any fragment length via nanopores to achieve long reads for genome assemblies, resolving large structural variants or differentiating isoforms.

Here is a list of Nanopore sequencing services currently available at the MBSU, and to download our online submission form.

To use this service, email the completed submission form to biombsu@ualberta.ca and use one of our DropBoxes to submit your samples.

Important Notes:

  • Please follow the Sample Preparation in the READ ME section of the submission form before submitting your samples.
  • Our DropBoxes are located in: Flow Core (HMRC 6-67), or outside of the MBSU (CCIS 5-047).
  • Samples with submission forms received before 8 am (every Thursday) will have sequencing data available the following business day.

There may be more Nanopore sequencing services available in the future, based on client demand. If you have any questions, are looking for a specific service, or are interested in accessing the MinION, please contact Anh Dao at biombsu@ualberta.ca

   

Illumina DNA Sequencing

Illumina sequencing is a next-generation sequencing platform that uses sequencing by synthesis chemistry to generate sequencing data for a broad range of applications.


Illumina NextSeq 500:

  • This platform is available to all users 
  • The NextSeq platform can generate between 16.25 and 120 Gbases, depending on the reagents used.
  • For more detailed information on the NextSeq 500 platform, visit the NextSeq overview page on Illumina.

For more information on the cost of reagents for a particular run, details on Library construction, and procedures for accessing this platform, please contact:

Sophie Dang at sophied@ualberta.ca.

 

qPCR & Bioanalyzer Training:

There are qPCR and bioanalyzer training sessions offered at the MBSU.

  • Training sessions are usually done in groups.
  • qPCR training will cover theory, experimental design, data analysis, and how to use Primer Express.
  • Bioanalyzer training covers how to set up and run your samples on the Bioanalyzer.
For more information, please contact: Troy Locke at tlocke@ualberta.ca.

 

Order Oligonucleotides Online with Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT)

The Molecular Biology Service Unit (MBSU) offers University of Alberta clients the ability to order oligonucleotides online through our DNA synthesis partner, Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT).

Please contact the Site Administrator, Troy Locke (tlocke@ualberta.ca), if you require help setting up your account.

To order oligonucleotides:

  • Visit the MBSU's portal site at IDT to order oligonucleotides online.
  • If you do not have an existing IDT account, you will need to create one. Please note: When setting up your user profile, do not change the Shipping and Billing information. All IDT products ship to the MBSU, and as the Portal Administrator, we handle ALL billing via the University of Alberta PeopleSoft system.
  • You will need to enter a valid University of Alberta speed code for the payment of your order, or Non-University clients will type INVOICE. Pricing information is available at the portal site.
  • Our site administrator, Troy Locke, will contact you when your order arrives and is ready to be picked up.
  • Once your oligonucleotides are synthesized and shipped, quality control information will be available through your user profile on the portal site. This includes Mass Spectra on each oligo synthesized.

For more information, contact Troy Locke at tlocke@ualberta.ca or (780) 492-1066.

 

3D Design & Printing Service

The MBSU has a 3D Design & Printing Service (By Request Only).

Need lab racks or other accessories for your lab? Need custom-made parts or apparatus for your experiments?

For more information, please contact Anthony Cornish at acornish@ualberta.ca.

 

Retail Bio Bar

A retail BioBar is operated by the MBSU. The lab is stocked with standard offerings that are available for walk-in purchase. For information about using our BioBar or ordering specialty items, contact the general MBSU email: biombsu@ualberta.ca.

Custom BioBar orders arrive within 3-5 business days. The MBSU will contact you for pick-up once your order has arrived.

We stock items from the following vendors: