Specialist facilities and services

Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic facilities

The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bristol has some of the best and most unique wind tunnel facilities in the country, including an Aeroacoustic wind tunnel, a low-turbulence wind tunnel, a pressure-neutral acoustic wind tunnel for propeller research, a high-speed subsonic and supersonic jet facility, and a large 7'x5' close-circuit wind tunnel.

Engineering; Aeroacoustics; Aerodynamics; Propeller testing; 7x5ft Closed Test Section Wind Tunnel with speeds of up to 60m/s; Low Turbulence Wind Tunnel designed for faster speed testing up to 100m/s, equipped with particle image velocimetry equipment (PIV) and a test section of approximately 0.8m x 0.6m; Aero acoustic Wind Tunnel, an anechoic chamber approximately 7m x 4.5m x 3.5m and fully anechoic down to 160Hz, this has a velocity range of 8m/s to 12m/s; The pressure-neutral acoustic wind tunnel is a closed-loop, open section wind tunnel. With a velocity range of 5m/s to 35m/s; Currently being built Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel, with a test section which will span over 18m in length and capable of creating a boundary layer of 25cm thick; Jet noise facility allows a flow of compressed air of between Mach 0.1 and 1.4.

Analytical Laboratory (Geographical Sciences)

Unique national research facility with state-of-the-art instrumentation focused on biogeochemical processes in aquatic and terrestrial systems, including low temperature environments.

Bespoke analytical and consultancy services upon request.

Aqueous Geochemistry ICP-OES

The ICP-OES is the Agilent 710 simultaneous spectrometer. It utilizes emission spectrometry and is a multi-element analytical technique allowing the detection of most elements at concentrations ranging from a few ppb to hundreds of ppm. This is a versatile technique; due to its wide concentration ranged covered it is widely used for Environmental and Geological samples, both for major and trace elements. The spectrometer is coupled to an auto-sampler for large sample throughput.

Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometry; Trace analysis of aqueous solutions; Metal, CA, Na and K ion detection; Soil leachate analysis; Spectroscopy; Agilent 710 ICP-OES; Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer

Bristol Aerosols and Colloids Instrument Centre

The Bristol Aerosols and Colloids Instrument Centre (BACIC) is a collection of shared-use instrumentation supporting research in aerosol and colloidal sciences.

Bristol Automated Synthesis Facility

Our Automated Workstation (Chemspeed Technologies) is available for automated parallel chemical synthesis, with capabilities including inert atmosphere, solids dispensing, temperature control from −70 °C to 120 °C, high pressure (up to 80 bar) and integrated solid-phase extraction with dedicated LC-MS off-line analysis.

Bristol Genomics Facility

The Bristol Genomics Facility is a core facility based in the Life Sciences Building. We have Illumina NextSeq & MiSeq sequencers for high and low output next generation sequencing, and are one of only a handful of providers in Europe to offer both 96 and 384-plate format Thermofisher (formerly Affymetrix) microarray processing. Our services offer the entire workflow from experimental design through to data analysis.

DNA and RNA sequencing, analysis and quality assessment; Microarray expression analysis; High-throughput Genotyping; Real-time quantitative PCR; Capillary sequencing and genotyping; Bioinformatic support

Bristol NanoESCA Facility

The Bristol NanoESCA Facility is the newest and one of the most advanced surface analysis instruments in UK. The NanoESCA II offers extraordinary surface sensitivity and energy resolution, further enhanced by being housed in some of the quietest labs in the UK.

High-resolution surface chemical state analysis; Photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM); Multichannel XPS; SPA-LEED; Imaging and spectroscopy/diffraction modes; Low energy electron diffraction; Specialist light sources; In situ annealing and sputtering; UHV suitcase; Materials analysis; Scienta Omicron NanoESCA II monochromated x-ray source

Bristol Radiocarbon Mass Spectrometry Facility (BRAMS)

BRAMS is a new state-of-the-art radiocarbon dating facility at the University of Bristol. Jointly based in the Schools of Chemistry and Arts, BRAMS provides a radiocarbon dating service to both University of Bristol researchers and to external academic and commercial users.

The MICADAS accelerator mass spectrometer is a high-precision and compact instrument that is capable of measuring radiocarbon dates on even the tiniest of samples. It is capable of analysing samples as both graphite targets and CO₂ gas, with applications ranging from archaeology through to palaeoclimatology, past and present environmental studies, and geosciences.

Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information (NSQI)

The Bristol Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information (NSQI) is the University's dedicated research centre for nanoscience and quantum information activities, located next to the main HHW Physics building. The upper floors house the Quantum Engineering and Technology Labs (QET Labs) and the Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training (QE-CDT). The lower ground floor comprises fifteen state-of-the art Low Noise Labs (LNLs), which provide extremely stable low noise environments for both quantum research and research at the nanoscale and beyond.

Purpose built low noise and ultra-low noise labs achieving vibration levels lower than the lowest recognised criteria (Vibration Criteria G – VC-G) plus protection from electrical noise; Soundproof chamber; Class 1000 clean room; Technically supported; Sample preparation laboratories

Cleanroom

Open to all researchers at the university and accessible for external organisations as well, our cleanroom enables wafer-scale micro and nano fabrication. It comprises several class-1000-rated rooms and houses process tools for lithography, dry etch, deposition, chemical processing, post processing and characterisation. These tools are used for rapid prototyping of a range of devices, including photonic structures, microfluidics, micro-lenses, integrated circuits and MEMS

Several class-1000-rated rooms; Wafer-scale micro and nano fabrication; Houses process tools for lithography, dry etch, deposition, chemical processing, post processing and characterisation; Rapid prototyping of a range of devices, including photonic structures, microfluidics, micro-lenses, integrated circuits and MEMS

Clinical Animal Behaviour Group

The Clinical Animal Behaviour group at University of Bristol Veterinary School specialise in all aspects of clinical behaviour including training, consultancy and research services. We work with individuals, charities and industry, to develop practical applications, informed by the latest research into companion animal behaviour and welfare.

Veterinary services; Animal welfare; Behaviour consultation; Referring clinical cases; Residency programme; Separation related behaviours

Earthquake and Large Structures (EQUALS) Laboratory

The EQUALS laboratory is a unique facility that combines strong walls and strong floors allowing a wide range of different types of structures (e.g. intake towers, bridges, buildings etc.) to be tested. The facility also houses the shaking table so that large-scale dynamic tests can be performed in addition to more conventional static or pseudostatic testing.

Engineering; Seismic qualification; Vibration testing; Structural testing; 3x3m 6-degree-of-freedom 5g shaking table with 15 tonne payload capacity; Strong floor and reaction walls and hydraulic actuator portfolio for bespoke test set-ups

Electron and scanning probe microscopy

The Electron and Scanning Probe Microscopy Unit provides solutions for imaging and analysis at the nanoscale. The unit houses two scanning electron microscopes, two scanning probe microscopes and three transmission electron microscopes.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM); Transmission electron microscopy (TEM); Atomic force microscopy (AFM); Nanoscale imaging and analysis; Full technical and training support; Chemical imaging and analysis; JEOL 200 Kv Field Emission Gun TEM 2100F with STEM; Electron diffraction; Gatan digital camera; Oxford Instruments Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis system (80mm2 SSD; Aztec); Gatan Cryo holder and heating holder; JEOL 120 Kv 1400 TEM with Gatan digital camera; JEOL 120 Kv 1200 Mk2 TEM with SIS digital camera; JEOL SEM IT300 LV with Oxford Instruments Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis system (80mm2 SSD; Aztec); JEOL Field Emission Gun SEM 6330 with Gatan Cathodoluminescence and Oxford Instruments Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis; Bruker Multimode 3 with Quadrexed Nanoscope 3D controller; Bruker Multimode 8 PeakForce QNM allowing conductivity and quantitative material property (including modulus, adhesion, deformation, and dissipation) mapping; Vacuum coating (C and Pt/Pd, Au); Ultramicrotomy; Critical point drying and freeze-drying

Electron Microbeam Laboratories

The electron microbeam laboratories provide a service to the Earth and Environmental science community as well as to all departments within the University of Bristol. The laboratories consist of two scanning electron microscopes SEM) and two electron probe microanalysers (EPMA), which enables us to provide a full range of electron and x-ray imaging, together with in-situ chemical analysis of both major and minor elements heavier than carbon.

Nanoscale imaging and quantitative compositional analysis; Materials analysis; Training in Electron Microscopy and X-ray microanalysis methods; Spectroscopy; Hitachi S-3500N variable pressure microscope equipped with Thermo Noran energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS x-ray detector); Environmental secondary electron detector (ESED) and BSE detector, JEOL JXA8530F Hyperprobe (EPMA); Field Emission Gun electron source; Cameca SX100 microprobe; 5 wavelength dispersive spectrometers; Energy dispersive spectrometer

Flow cytometry

The Flow Cytometry Facility comprises high speed digital benchtop cytometers for analysis and a state of the art Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) for isolating populations of interest from a wide variety of cells or other particles.

High speed digital benchtop cytometers and a state of the art Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FASC) 

GW4 cryo-EM facility

Our high-performance transmission electron microscope enables the visualisation of organic and biological specimen at near-atomic detail. It is ideal for screening and optimising cryo-samples and acquiring high-quality images for down-stream analysis.

Histology Services Unit

We have a range of equipment that staff and students can be trained to use. Experts are also available to provide help and guidance.

Histochemistry; Fresh and fixed, frozen sectioning; Fixation and staining; Wax processing; Immunocytochemistry; Immunofluoresent staining; Image capture; Consultancy; Clinical studies; Cryostat x4.; Sliding microtome with peltier cooling x1; Rotary microtomes x4.; Thermo Excelsior processor; Medite TP15 processor; Medite embedding centre; Slide printer; Cassette printer; Leica DM750 microscope with integral digital camera; Motik SMZ-168 dissecting microscope with integral digital camera with bespoke thermal stage for orientation of wax embedded tissue; Vast range of stains; 10L Liquid nitrogen dewar; Virtual Microscope; Shandon knife sharpener

Illumina Facility

The Illumina facility is run by the Bristol Bioresource Laboratories and is located at the Learning & Research Building, Southmead Hospital. We offer Illumina microarray processing and expertise accessible to both internal and external researchers. The laboratory has an Illumina iscan, autoloader and array processing robot and offers processing of illumina microarray based assays.

Illumina microarray processing and expertise; Methylation analysis; DNA analysis; SNP genotyping arrays; Bioinformatics support; Dedicated Biobank storage facility; Illumina iscan, autoloader and array processing robot

Interface Analysis Centre - Techniques & Analytical Methods

The IAC hosts a wide range of advanced materials science analysis techniques. Please contact us for more information. In addition to conducting materials science research we also perform analysis and consultancy services to industry.

Materials analysis; Focused Ion Beam (FIB); Electron and Optical microscopy; Spectroscopy; X-ray diffraction; Thermogravimetric Calorimetry (DSC); Imaging; High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy

Langford Vets

A customer-focused group of veterinary services, providing specialised care and an extensive range of capabilities. With our 24/7 clinics, you can count on skilled clinicians, imagers, anaesthetists, nurses, and support staff dedicated to your pet’s wellbeing.

Veterinary services; Animal welfare; Diagnostic Laboratories; Farm Animal Practice; Small Animal Hospital; Stables Equine Practice; State of the art diagnostic imaging facilities including X-rays, ultrasound scans, Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning; Quantitative real-time PCR; TB testing; Laboratory and post-mortem facilities

Mass Spectrometry

The mass spectrometry facilities at Bristol enable you to look at molecular ions and fragmentation patterns for almost any species including biological samples that were, until a few years ago, impossible to study using these techniques.

Mass spectrometry; Chemical mass spectrometry; Material analysis; HPLC-MS/UPLC-MS; LC-MSn; Nano-LC-MS; IMS-MS; Accurate mass, EI, CI, ESI, nanospray and Maldi MS; Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Elite High resolution (MSn) mass spectrometer with UPLC/HPLC; Waters Synapt G2S IMS-TOF mass spectrometer with Nanomate source; Bruker Daltonics UltrafleXtreme 2 High resolution MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometer; Bruker Daltonics micrOTOF Focus II High resolution TOF mass spectrometer; Applied Biosystems 4700 Proteomics MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometer; Bruker Daltonics Esquire 6000 Ion-trap mass spectrometer with HPLC; VG Autospec 3 sector (double focussing) mass spectrometer 

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility

The NMR Facilities in the School of Chemistry are some of the best equipped in the UK, with 12 solution-state NMR spectrometers (300-700MHz) used for research and undergraduate teaching, as well as being available for industrial use

Biological NMR; High-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometry; Protein and small molecule structure analysis; Protein-ligand binding studies; Chemical NMR; Solution state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometry of small molecules; Multinuclear and diffusion NMR; Molecular structure and mixture analysis; Bruker 700 MHz spectrometer with 1.7 mm cryoprobe; Bruker Avance 400; Bruker Avance 300; Bruker 500 MR NMR Spectromer  with 13C cryoprobe; JEOL Eclipse 300 NMR Spectrometer; JEOL ECS 400 NMR Spectrometer; JEOL ECS 300 NMR Spectrometer; Varian 400 MR NMR Spectrometer; Varian 500 VNMRS NMR Spectrometer; Varian INOVA 600 MHz NMR Spectrometer; Varian VNMRS 600 spectrometer with cryoprobe 

Proteomics Facility

The facility provides a service to multiple research groups across the University of Bristol, but also to many groups from major UK Universities and to industrial partners. The Facility’s user base encompasses a diverse range of research areas, including cell biology, neuroscience, cardiovascular science, infection and immunity, cancer research, evolutionary biology, oral health, small animal medicine and plant and agricultural sciences.

Protein Separation; Protein identification; Quantitative Proteomics (SILAC, TMT); Phosphoproteomics; Serum Proteomics; LC-MS service; Orbitrap Fusion Tribrid Mass Spectrometer with up-stream Ultimate 3000 nano-LC system (Thermo Scientific); LTQ-Orbitrap Velos Mass Spectrometer with up-stream Ultimate 3000 nano-LC system (Thermo Scientific); DigestPro automated digestion unit (Intavis Ltd.); 2 x Ultimate 3000 stand alone LC systems for peptide fractionation (Thermo Scientific); GE Healthcare IPGphor3 Isoelectric Focussing Units; GE Healthcare Ettan DALT Twelve and Six Separation Units; GE Healthcare DALT Twelve Gel caster; GE Healthcare Typhoon 9400 Variable Mode Imager

UKCRIC Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction Laboratory

The UKCRIC Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction Laboratory is a state of the art facility designed to enable research into the structural-geotechnical boundary, supporting the UKCRIC mission to underpin the renewal, sustainment and improvement of infrastructure and cities in the UK and elsewhere.

Engineering; Soil-structure interaction; Seismic qualification; 6m x 4m 2g biaxial seismic shaking table with 50 tonne payload capacity; 1.2m x 1.2m 6-degree-of-freedom 8g shaking table with 500kg payload capacity; 6m x 5m x 4m deep soil test pit with surrounding strong floor for bespoke placement of multiple actuators up to 1Mn; Vibration testing

Wolfson Bioimaging Facility

The Wolfson Bioimaging Facility provides expert microscopy support for researchers at the University of Bristol and beyond.

An extensive range of advanced fluorescence imaging systems (including confocal, widefield, multiphoton, super-resolution microscopy, TIRF and FLIM) are positioned alongside high specification electron microscopes (TEM and SEM) to provide exceptional opportunities for microscopy applications.

Latest-state-of-the-art light/optical and electron microscopy; Cell and life sciences imaging for biological and biomedical research; Leica SP5 confocal imaging systems (3, incl 1 with resonant scanner and hybrid detectors); 2 Leica SP8 confocal systems (with resonant scanner and hybrid detectors); Leica SPE confocal system; Ultraview Spinning Disk; Widefield imaging systems (6, various specs); Leica TIRF microscope; Leica SP8 Multiphoton; Leica SP8 Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope; Leica SP8 STED (super-resolution); Leica SP8 fluorescence correlation spectroscopy; Perkin Elmer Opera LX high content screening system; Essen IncuCyte high throughput live cell imaging system; Tecnai 12 -FEI 120kV BioTwin Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM); Tecnai 20 -FEI 200kV LaB6 Twin Lens Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) including HAADF-STEM detector and cryo capabilities; Quanta 400FEI FEG Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with cryo attachment; Vitrobot; High Pressure Freezer, Leica EMPACT2 + RTS; Cryo-ultramicrotome; Ultramicrotome; Photo-oxidation light microscope (Correlative Microscopy); Cryo fluorescence Light Microscope (Correlative Microscopy) 

X-ray crystallography

A purpose-built crystallography laboratory houses 3 single crystal diffractometers and one powder diffractometer.

All of the single crystal diffractometers are equipped with modern kappa-geometry goniometers. Two of these have conventional fixed Mo-anode X-ray tubes and are used for routine samples. The third is a dual microfocus source (Mo and Cu) instrument with a sensitive CPAD detector.

The laboratory also houses a high throughput powder X-ray diffractometer equipped with a linear detector, robotic sample changer and 30 silicon wafer sample holders.

Single crystal X-ray structure determination/analysis (90-400K); Absolute structure determination; Routine powder X-ray diffraction measurements; Variable temperature powder X-ray diffraction measurements (16-300K); Bruker D8 Advance Powder Diffractometer; Bruker Microstar Rotating Anode Copper Diffractometer; Bruker Kappa Apex II Molybdenum sealed tube single crystal diffractometer

X-ray Tomography (XTM) Facility

The Palaeobiology Research Group hosts the Faculty's micro-CT X-ray tomography facilities in the Life Sciences Building. This facility is available for all users in the Palaeo group, as well as to both other members of the University and to external users.

Micro-CT X-ray imaging; 3D imaging and analysis; Imaging suite workstations and software for 3D visualisation and analysis; Nikon XT H 225 ST CT scanner; Imaging lab with high spec workstations and software for 3D visualisation and analysis of tomographic datasets