The Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities of SINH, CAS was established at the end of 2016 by merging the institutional public technology service centers of INS, IHS, PICB, which were research institutes affiliated to the former Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS.

The center offers high-efficiency and high-quality technical services to support scientific research. It comprises the following technical platforms: 

1. Public Testing Technical Core Facility

The facility is equipped with advanced instrumentation including flow cytometers, mass spectrometers, microscopic imaging systems, automated workstations, ultra-high-speed centrifuges, quantitative fluorescence PCR systems, single-cell sequencers, and other general biological equipment. This comprehensive platform provides end-to-end technical support spanning immunophenotyping, spatial imaging, proteomics, metabolomics, and molecular biology applications. Additionally, the facility actively engages in multiple instrumentation development initiatives to enhance research capabilities.

2. Laboratory Animal Technical Platform 

The platform delivers comprehensive laboratory animal services encompassing feeding management, technical training, and instrument operation guidance. Our multidisciplinary support for biomedical research includes: 1) experimental design consultation; 2) specialized technical assistance in transgenic mouse breeding, advanced equipment operation, and surgical procedures; 3) full-cycle management of SPF-grade (Specific Pathogen Free) vivarium facilities; and 4) animal welfare compliance oversight.

Operated by a dedicated team of 18 certified technicians, the facility maintains four sub-facilities for SPF-class mice and rats, including 13,000 mice cages and 100 rat cages.

3. The Morphology and Spatial Multi-Omics Platform

The Morphology and Spatial Multi-Omics Platform was established in July 2022, evolving from the Quantitative Biology Quality Control Platform. The platform focuses on research areas such as chronic diseases, immunity, aging, and population cohorts with big data. It is equipped with advanced technologies, including electron microscopes, laser scanning confocal imaging systems, two-photon high-resolution confocal microscopes, and laser microdissection systems. The platform is staffed by five technicians and offers technical services in areas such as transparent tissue imaging and 3D image reconstruction, long-term multi-sample live zebrafish imaging, thick tissue section imaging, live cell imaging, tissue cryosectioning, specific cell collection from tissue samples, and spatial multi-omics experiments and analysis. The platform aims to provide multi-level and multidimensional support for the scientific research of SINH and collaborators.  

4. High-resolution Mass Spectrometry Cofacility

High-resolution mass spectrometry cofacility in Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health is equipped with Thermo Scientific QE Plus Obitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry and the Vanquish liquid chromatography system, aiming to support services of metabolomics analysis.  Currently, the team in this cofacility consists of one chief scientist and one technician, who together establish pipelines for targeted/untargeted metabolomics, and isotope tracing to investigate the metabolic reprogramming during diseases progression. We are aiming to provide service or collaborate with multiple scientific teams for biomarker discovery and new metabolites identification.