The microarray device at our disposal uses Affymetrix GeneChip® technology.

The lab has a midi-MACS magnetic cell sorting device by Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany, that is used, e.g., to isolate monocytes from PBMC.

Our lab has an MRI scanner at its disposal. We use it, e.g., to track dendritic cells in melanoma patients for monitoring of cellular therapy.

The MRI facility available in the laboratory is used, among other things, to image vaccines.

In the lab, there is a multi-photon microscope available. It is used, for instance, in the analysis of in vivo distribution and motility of NK cells.

We have experience in multicolour flow cytometry. Besides ELISPOT, tetramer based 8-colour flow cytometry has become our routine monitoring assay, allowing extended phenotypic and functional characterization of T cell subpopulations. Of special interest has become the identification of polyfunctional T cells (capable to simultaneously exert several functions, i.e. production of various cytokines and killing activity) since these have been shown to elicit more effective immune responses in HIV vaccination trials.

This platform with its state-of-the-art mass spectrometry facilities is led by Mann (P33). To enhance the platform, two additional groups were recruited as Third Parties: P114 Edwin Lasonder in Nijmegen (NL), and P113 Juri Rappsilber in Edinburgh (GB). The mass spectrometer has been used, for instance, to identify and quantify chemokine dependent tyrosine phosphorylation events. Furthermore, the success of SILAC labelling was analysed using the mass spectrometer.

This spectrometer was, among other things, used for an analysis of the integral plasma membrane proteome of D1 cells.

There is a two-photon intravital microscope available in the laboratory. It was used, among other things, to analyze the infiltration and destruction of solid tumors by CTLs.

In our lab we have a two-photon microscope. For instance, cell death was assessed in the viable epidermis by non-invasive near infrared two-photon microscopy following micro-particle bombardment of murine skin.

The yeast oligonucleotide array was constructed using the S. cerevisiae Genome Oligo Set ™ (Operon Technologies, CA, USA) composed of 6240 optimized oligonucleotides (70mers) each representing one yeast gene.

A Zeiss LSM 510 confocal microscope is available for use in the lab.