In addition to its flexible laboratory spaces, the Science and Engineering Building also provides specialized core labs and equipment that facilitate cutting-edge research across several disciplines. By housing these instruments and centers in one interdisciplinary hub, the university has maximized its investment, allowing multiple researchers access to state-of-the-art technology. To learn more about opportunities for utilizing these labs/facilities, contact the SEB Administrative Offices at 702-774-4732.

UNLV Confocal and Biological Imaging Core is committed to providing access to confocal microscopy for all Nevada researchers. The central piece of equipment is this multi-user facility is a state-of-the-art Nikon A1R confocal laser scanning microscopy system (CLSM) with a resonance scanner for high-speed imaging of living samples and spectral unmixing for advanced applications. This system is mounted on a Nikon Eclipse Ti body equipped with advanced CLSM imaging resonance scanner, for rapid acquisition of images from living samples. Two additional digital imaging systems are available for epifluorescence and other types of light microscopy: a high resolution charge-coupled device (CCD) and a highly sensitive electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD). Acquired images are compatible with the powerful, open-source FIJI image processing software.

Contact

Sophie Choe

sophie.choe@unlv.edu
702-774-1550

The UNLV Genomics Core Facility was established to aid in the development and support of genomics-based research. The facility provides equipment and training for DNA microarray handling, Western blot/gel/microarray scanning, PCR amplification, and analysis of DNA, RNA and protein samples. Staff members at the facility provide general technical assistance; additional contract services are available as well, including flow cytometry, Affymetrix microarray processing, and Bioanalyzer analysis.

Contact

Ronald Gary

ronald.gary@unlv.edu
702-895-1687

The greenhouse has temperature-controlled areas for general research. It has four segregated bays that have separate climate-controlled systems that allow for replicated studies or for different conditions in each bay. Recent improvements in the environmental controls uses outside weather station data and interior sensors to predict the energy load to the bay and adapt rapidly to maintain a stable environment. In the event of equipment failure an alarm will be sent to users in order to alert them to conditions going out of specifications and prevent losses in research.

Contact

Eric Knight

eric.knight@unlv.edu
702-895-2020

The mission of the UNLV Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing Core Laboratory is to provide unique GIS and remote sensing capabilities, technical support, and training to advance scientific research and productivity

Contact

Haroon Stephen

haroon.stephen@unlv.edu
702-774-1463

Microscopy is one of the most widely applied analytical techniques used in science and engineering. This core facility is a multiple-instrument complex that includes two secondary electron microscopes (SEM), one electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA), two Nikon confocal microscopes, and optical microscopes with digital image analysis computer systems. Images of organic and inorganic material from millimeter to nanometer scale, crystal orientation in inorganic material, qualitative and quantitative chemical compositional for inorganic material can be acquired from these facilities. Users of the facilities include faculty and students from college of science and college of engineering, as well as academic researchers from other institutions and private industry.

Contact

Minghua Ren

minghua.ren@unlv.edu
702-774-1465

The mission of the Las Vegas Isotope Science Laboratory is to produce high-precision stable isotope data in support of multi-disciplinary research directed at understanding global climate and environmental changes at millennial- to million-year scales in Earth history. The lab is committed to generating high-quality, high-precision data with a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer and peripheral support devices. The lab also continues advising UNLV faculty and students on sample preparation techniques and on specific analytical requirements and method development.

Contact

Matthew Lachniet

matthew.lachniet@unlv.edu
702-895-4388

This core facility provides machining and materials fabrication services to the researchers in SEB. It contains numerical milling machines, welding equipment, conventional mills, lathes and drill presses, a paint booth, grinding equipment, and metal cutting and bending equipment. The machine shop is also staffed with skilled technicians capable of providing machining and model making services. The staff has computer facilities to handle 3-D CAD files for rapid prototyping and numerical machining; this includes ProEngineer, Solidworks, and AutoCAD 3D.

Contact

Ashton Pearson

ashton.pearson@unlv.edu
702-774-1423

As a core laboratory, the Nanotechnology Clean Room has equipment for the design, fabrication, and imaging of nano- and microstructures. The facility contains two rooms with extremely low levels of particulate matter, such as dust or other pollutants. One of the rooms has a class level of 1,000, meaning that it contains no more than 1,000 particles that are .5 microns or larger within a cubic foot; a second room is a Class 10,000-level clean room. Clean rooms are necessary for sophisticated research involving optoelectronics, high-speed electronic devices, and nanostructures, including carbon nanotubes.

Contact

Eric Knight

eric.knight@unlv.edu
702-895-2020

The National Supercomputing Institute (NSI) (formerly the National Supercomputing Center for Energy and the Environment) is a full-service supercomputing facility with on-site and off-site user training, national network accessibility and a mission for excellence in education and research in supercomputing and its applications. NSI also houses servers for various research groups within the SEB and provides supercomputing training and services to academic and research institutions, government and private industry for research and development related to numerous campus programs, medical informatics, and health care delivery.

Contact

NSI

702-895-4153

The Nevada Isotope Geochronology Laboratory has a wide range of uses in geochronology, which is the science of determining the ages of rocks, fossils, and other geological features, and thermochronology, which seeks to discover the thermal history of rocks, minerals, or other geologic units. The lab’s equipment enables researchers to employ methods to define eruption or emplacement ages of igneous rocks, to conduct volcanic hazards assessment, to better understand ore genesis, and to determine the ages of fossils. The Nevada Isotope Geochronology Laboratory, which houses a MAP 215-50 rare gas mass spectrometer, currently offers the 40Ar/39Ar isotopic dating method.

Contact

Kathy Zanetti

702-895-4789

The NMR lab houses equipment (the 400-MHz NMR) that is used for a wide variety of chemical investigations. NMR has been used to investigate the structure of organic matter in the environment, to characterize newly developed materials, as well as organic materials of biological interest. NMR has been used for real-time measurement of chemical reactions and biological reactions in intact cells.

Contact

Dong-Chan Lee

dong-chan.lee@unlv.edu
702-895-1486

The tissue culture laboratory is a small core lab where eukaryotic cells can be cultured under sterile conditions. This facility currently helps support the Integrative Physiology group by culturing mouse, human and insect cell lines for further research. Cell culturing is an important way for researchers to study individual cells under controlled conditions.

Contact

Nora Caberoy

nora.caberoy@unlv.edu
702-774-1501