Knight Campus BioFoundry

BioFoundry Core Facility

Access top-end research equipment and experts

Supporting the culture, analysis, and characterization of biological samples and bioengineered materials.

Knight Campus BioFoundry Core Facility

The Knight Campus BioFoundry Core Facility is a state-of-the-art shared research hub supporting the culture, analysis, and characterization of biological samples and bioengineered materials. By combining advanced instrumentation, expert scientific support, and a flexible, collaborative environment, the BioFoundry enables interdisciplinary research across the life sciences, bioengineering, and biomaterials.

Our mission is to provide equitable access for internal and external researchers to cutting-edge infrastructure for cell handling, bioanalysis, biomaterials characterization, and biofabrication. The BioFoundry also serves as a collaborative nexus, fostering scientific interaction among Knight Campus researchers and partners beyond the university.

What we offer

The BioFoundry operates as a shared core facility with dedicated, highly trained staff offering:

  • User onboarding and hands-on training

  • Experimental design consultation

  • Data acquisition and advanced analysis support

Access & Contact

Access is available to University of Oregon and external researchers like all shared facilities at the UO. For access, training requirements, pricing, or experimental support, please contact Raquel Simão Gurge, BioFoundry Facility Engineer, 541.346.7176, biofoundry@uoregon.edu.


We have established rates for some BioFoundry Instruments (UO Users)

  • Widefield Leica Thunder – Regular hours: $16.00/hour
  • Widefield Leica Thunder – After hours: $8.00/hour
  • Flow Cytometry Cytek Aurora – $40.00/hour
  • Flow Cytometry Cytek Cell Sorter – $90.00/hour

For more information about rates and other instruments, please contact Raquel Simão Gurge, BioFoundry Facility Engineer, 541.346.7176, biofoundry@uoregon.edu.

BioFoundry Equipment and Resources

Additional BioFoundry instrumentation is currently being installed and will be available in Knight Campus Building 2, including expanded capabilities in cell culture, imaging, cell analysis, biofabrication, biophysical characterization, and mechanical testing. These systems will support quantitative assessment of biomaterial stiffness, viscoelastic properties, and structure–function relationships in engineered and biological materials, as well as provide dedicated, secure space for cultivating a wide range of cell types under controlled conditions. Updates will be posted as systems come online. 

Imaging & Microscopy

Leica THUNDER Imager

The Leica THUNDER Imager is an advanced widefield fluorescence imaging system optimized for fast, high-contrast imaging of thick biological samples. By combining computational clearing with high-performance optics and flexible illumination, the system delivers confocal-like image quality without the speed and phototoxicity limitations of traditional confocal microscopy.

ObjectivesAir (5×, 10×, 20×, 40×), Water (40× (motorized), 63×, 100×)
CamerasLeica K8 sCMOS (low-light & live cell), Leica K5C color (brightfield & color fluorescence)
Illumination8-LED illumination line with rapid wavelength switching
Filter cubesDAPI390, CYR71010 (CFP/YFP/RFP/Cy7), DFT51010 (DAPI/FITC/TRITC/Cy5)

Confocal Microscopy

Coming soon! The BioFoundry will expand its imaging capabilities with advanced confocal microscopy platforms to support high-resolution and 3D imaging applications.

StatusComing Soon! 
Planned systems Point Scanner Confocal Microscope, Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope

CellCyte 1 Live-Cell Imaging System 

Coming soon! The CellCyte 1 is an incubator-compatible live-cell imaging system designed for long-term, kinetic monitoring of adherent cell cultures directly in standard tissue culture flasks. The system enables non-invasive, label-free and fluorescence-based imaging under physiologically relevant conditions.

Model CellCyte 1 Complete SystemOptics 10× objective Channels 3-channel configuration Imaging modalities Brightfield imaging for label-free monitoring, multichannel fluorescence imaging, time-lapse and kinetic imaging (hours to days) Cell culture compatibility Dedicated CellCyte culture flasks (T25 and T75 flasks)
Control  Operates directly inside CO₂ incubators, maintains physiological temperature, humidity, and CO₂ and minimizes sample disturbance and contamination risk
Flow Cytometry & Cell Sorting

Cytek Aurora Spectral Flow Cytometer

The Cytek Aurora is a high-parameter spectral flow cytometer designed for complex immunophenotyping, cell signaling studies, and rare population analysis. The system captures the full emission spectrum of fluorophores across multiple lasers, enabling flexible panel design and high-dimensional analysis.

LasersUV 355 nm, Violet 405 nm, Blue 488 nm, Yellow/Green 561 nm, Red 640 nm. Up to 53 parameters (panel-dependent)
Sample formatsStandard flow cytometry tubes, 96-well plates, supports high-throughput and rare-cell analysis workflows
Sensitivity High-sensitivity PMTs for detection of low-abundance markers, full-spectrum acquisition with spectral unmixing, autofluorescence extraction for improved resolution of complex populations
SoftwareSpectroFlo, data export compatible with FlowJo and FCS Express

Cytek Spectral Cell Sorter

The Cytek Cell Sorter is a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) system designed for precise isolation of defined cell populations for downstream functional, molecular, and culture-based applications.

LasersViolet 405 nm, Blue 488 nm, Red 640 nm
Sample formatsStandard flow cytometry tubes, multiple nozzle sizes for different cell types and sample conditions, adjustable sheath pressure for cell size and sample type
SensitivityHigh-sensitivity detectors optimized for dim fluorophores, spectral detection enables separation of overlapping fluorophores, compatible with complex multicolor panels with minimal compensation
Sorting modesHigh-precision droplet-based cell sorting, supports single-cell and bulk population sorting, configurable sorting modes for purity, yield, or recovery, suitable for sorting rare and low-frequency populations
BiosafetyAerosol containment, BSL-2 ready
SoftwareCytek acquisition and control software with spectral unmixing, real-time monitoring of stream stability and sort performance, data export compatible with FlowJo and FCS Express
Cell Culture & Sample Preparation

Individual Cell Lockers 

Coming soon! Secure, user-dedicated compartments that provide physical separation of cultures, reducing cross-contamination risk and supporting parallel workflows.

StatusComing Soon!

CO₂ Incubators with Cell Locker Systems 

Coming soon! Incubators equipped with internal cell locker units, offering an additional layer of containment and environmental stability for sensitive or long-term cultures.

StatusComing Soon!

Biological Safety Cabinets (BSC) 

Coming soon! Certified cabinets supporting aseptic handling of cell cultures under appropriate biosafety conditions.

StatusComing Soon!
Planned systems Type II, Type C

Sample Preparation & Culture Support Equipment 

Coming soon! A comprehensive set of shared laboratory equipment is available to support routine cell culture and sample preparation workflows, including temperature control, centrifugation, mixing, sterilization, and basic analytical measurements.

StatusComing Soon!

Revolve R4 Fluorescence Microscope

Coming soon! The Revolve R4 is a versatile fluorescence microscope designed to support both upright and inverted imaging workflows. The system enables flexible brightfield and multichannel fluorescence imaging for a wide range of biological samples.

StatusComing Soon!
SystemUpright and inverted imaging capability, motorized nosepiece
Optics4×, 10×, 20×, 40× PLAN Fluorite (phase contrast)
Cameras5 MP CMOS monochrome (fluorescence), 12 MP color (brightfield)
IlluminationBrightfield LED, Motorized LED fluorescence
Cell Analysis & Functional Assays

Cytation 5 Multi-Mode Reader

Coming soon! The Cytation 5 is an integrated multi-mode microplate reader and cellular imaging system that combines quantitative detection with high-quality microscopy for flexible biochemical and cell-based assays.

StatusComing Soon!
SystemFluorescence, luminescence, and absorbance detection, integrated cellular imaging
Plate compatibility 6–384 well plates (monochromator-based), 6–1536 well plates (filter-based)
Imaging modalities Brightfield and fluorescence imaging, live-cell and fixed-cell assays

Seahorse XF Analyzer

Coming soon! The Seahorse XF Analyzer enables real-time measurement of cellular metabolism through analysis of oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rates.

StatusComing Soon!
Supported assays Mito stress test, glycolysis stress test, ATP rate assay, Fatty Acid Oxidation (FAO)
Biofabrication & Biophysical Characterization

Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) 

Coming soon! Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis is a single-particle characterization technique for nanoparticles and extracellular particles in suspension, providing size, concentration, and fluorescence-based measurements.

StatusComing Soon!
Measurement capabilities Particle size distribution (10–2000 nm), absolute particle concentration, fluorescence-based subpopulation analysis, zeta potential (when equipped)

Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) 

Coming soon! Dynamic Light Scattering is a solution-based analytical technique for rapid sizing and stability analysis of nanoparticles, macromolecules, and colloidal systems.

StatusComing Soon!
Measurement capabilities Hydrodynamic size and polydispersity, aggregation and stability assessment

Ares-G2 Rheometer 

Coming soon! The Ares-G2 Rheometer provides precise rheological measurements of biomaterials, hydrogels, and biofabricated constructs to assess viscoelastic properties under physiologically relevant conditions.

StatusComing Soon!
SystemRotational rheometer platform, and temperature-controlled measurement environment
ModalitiesShear stress/strain analysis, oscillatory rheology, frequency and amplitude sweeps
Sample compatibility Hydrogels, soft biomaterials, biofabricated constructions, polymer solutions and suspensions

Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) 

Coming soon! The DMA 850 is a dynamic mechanical analyzer designed for precise measurement of viscoelastic and mechanical properties of soft and semi-rigid biomaterials, scaffolds, hydrogels, and biofabricated constructs under controlled temperature and force conditions.

StatusComing Soon!
SystemDMA platform with temperature and force control
ModalitiesDynamic mechanical analysis (stress, strain, frequency sweeper, temperature-dependent viscoelastic testing
Sample compatibility Hydrogels, polymers, scaffolds, biofabricated constructs

MicroTester (Coming Soon)

Coming soon! The MicroTester enables high-resolution mechanical testing of soft and delicate materials, providing sensitive force measurements suitable for biologically relevant samples.

StatusComing Soon!
SystemSub-millinewton force resolution, temperature-controlled testing environment
ModalitiesUniaxial tension, compression, cyclic loading
Sample compatibility Soft tissues, Hydrogels, Fibers and thin samples, Biofabricated constructions

Univert

Coming soon! The UniVert system supports versatile mechanical testing across a broader force range, enabling analysis of both soft and semi-rigid biomaterials.

StatusComing Soon!
System Versatile mechanical testing platform, broad force and displacement range, high reproducibility for comparative studies
ModalitiesCompression testing, tensile testing, indentation testing
Sample compatibility Hydrogels, biomaterial scaffolds, polymers and soft composites

Volumetric Bioprinter

Coming soon! 

StatusComing Soon!
Data Analysis & Software
 
Imaris
3D/4D image visualization
 
Leica THUNDER
Computational image processing
 
FlowJo
Flow & spectral cytometry analysis
 
Omiq
High-dimensional cytometry analytics
 
SpectroFlo
Spectral unmixing & acquisition

Become a User

Become a user of the BioFoundry, and other Knight Campus Core Facilities. We offer extraordinary access to top-end research equipment, overseen by expert staff that support users across the state of Oregon.

Become a User

 

Become a User

We offer extraordinary access to top-end research equipment, overseen by expert staff that support users across the state of Oregon. 

Become a User

 

Close-up shot of silicon wafer
Access & Contact

For access, training requirements, pricing, or experimental support, please contact Raquel Simão Gurge, BioFoundry Facility Engineer, 541.346.7176, biofoundry@uoregon.edu. Access is available to University of Oregon and external researchers like all shared facilities at the UO.