The Columbia Genome Center provides high-quality molecular screening services for investigators throughout the Columbia University research community. We are also the high-throughput screening core facility for researchers associated with NYSTEM, the New York State foundation that supports stem cell research.

Our high-throughput screening facility operates as a collaborative resource center. Our mission is to support both basic and translational biomedical research by designing, optimizing, and running high-throughput assays that deliver answers to questions of scientific interest.

Our staff is highly experienced in a wide range of technical applications for both generating and analyzing data. We work closely with our research partners to develop solutions that help you to achieve your experimental goals. As a participant in the Columbia University Department of Systems Biology, we also facilitate access to faculty with special expertise in a variety of related disciplines, including bioinformatics and advanced data analysis, as well as medicinal chemistry and chemical probe synthesis.

Please contact us to learn how the Columbia Genome Center can assist you in your research project.

Technical infrastructure

The Columbia Genome Center is equipped with instrumentation, robotic automation, and software for running high-throughput screens using a variety of assay technologies. The facility is highly flexible, making it possible to run assays of any size, using 96- and 384-well plates. The facility includes:

• Automation: A variety of liquid handling and robotic platforms make it possible to perform assays of any scale accurately and efficiently.
• Detection devices: Numerous multi-label plate readers enable a wide range of plate-based assays.
• High-throughput high-content microscopy: High-quality images and high-content image analysis software are combined with high-throughput automation technologies for analyzing the results of high-throughput screening assays.
• Screening libraries: We utilize an extensive catalog of small molecules for pursuing molecular screening, including siRNA, shRNA, cDNA, and chemical probes.
• Informatics: Using various software applications, staff at the Columbia Genome Center provide advanced analytics and help our collaborators to extract useful information from high-throughput experiments.

In addition to working with us on more extensive projects, members of the Columbia University research community who do not have such technology in their own laboratories can also schedule time to use our plate readers and microscopes.

Funding

The Columbia Genome Center’s High-Throughput Screening facility receives funding from NYSTEM, the New York State foundation to support stem cell research. We are the official core facility for screening for NYSTEM investigators throughout the state.

The Columbia Genome Center also acknowledges the generous support of the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.