The RCMI Core facilities provide state-of-the-art equipment, expertise, and training for UTSA’s scientific community to pursue innovative research and to be competitive for extramural funding. Areas of research include autoimmune diseases, cancer, multiple sclerosis, health disparities, nanoparticles, protein biomarkers, and high-performance computing.
Biophotonics Core
Core Leader / Director: Colleen Witt, Ph.D.
Office: BSE 3.110
Phone: (210) 458-7043
Email: colleen.witt@utsa.edu
Web site: http://imaging.utsa.edu
The Biophotonics Core utilizes cutting-edge imaging technologies that enable UTSA researchers to investigate and analyze biological processes in live cells at the molecular level with exceptional sensitivity and precision. This technology supports basic and translational research, including applications to develop therapeutic interventions and vaccine development.
Computational Systems Biology Core
Core Leader: Yufeng Wang Ph.D.
Director: Zhiwei Wang
Office: BSE 3.112
Phone: (210) 458-7078
Email: Zhiwei.Wang@utsa.edu
Web site: http://www.cbi.utsa.edu/rcmi
The Computational Systems Biology Core builds high-performance computing infrastructure for modeling and simulation of biological systems, live cell imaging, and protein biomarker research. This infrastructure enables the integration and processing of the enormous amount of data generated in studying complex biological interactions and as such it is a key component for advancing basic and translational health research at UTSA. The Core builds upon the well-established computing infrastructure of the Computational Biology Initiative (CBI) and it seeds the creation of a high performance computing center at UTSA. The Computational Systems Biology Core is a unique facility that provides central computational support through state-of-the-art computational facilities and expertise for existing and future UTSA faculty and their students.
Nanotechnology and Human Health Core
Core Leader / Director: Miguel Jose-Yacaman, Ph.D.
Assistant Director: Arturo Ponce-Pedraza, Ph.D.
Office: AET 3.322A
Phone: (210) 458-6954
Email: Arturo.Ponce-Pedraza@utsa.edu
Web site: http://darwin.cbi.utsa.edu/nanotech
The Nanotechnology and Human Health Core focuses on the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials for imaging, labels for bioassays, and active targeting for in vivo or in vitro diagnostics. The Core studies the interaction of nanoparticles with living cells for application in the targeted delivery of drugs, genes, and proteins; tissue engineering scaffolds; artificial organs and implants; and bioimaging and cell labeling. Additionally, the Core supports development of new advanced characterization methods to study biological tissue using nanoparticles and advanced electron microscopy techniques to produce three-dimensional structural information for imaging cell membranes, organelles, and other subcellular structures.
Protein Biomarkers Core
Core Leader: Stephan Bach, Ph.D.
Director: William E. Haskins, Ph.D.
Office: BSE 3.108
Phone: (210) 458-5452
Email: william.haskins@utsa.edu
Web site: http://proteomics.utsa.edu
The Protein Biomarkers Core builds infrastructure and instrumentation necessary to identify and characterize highly sensitive and specific protein biomarkers, including biomarkers that are particular to minority populations. These biomarkers can be used clinically to screen for and diagnose diseases and to guide and assess molecularly targeted therapy.