Single Cell and Imaging Mass Cytometry Analysis Platform (SCIMAP)
A pioneering platform for analyzing cancer at the single cell level, incorporating information-rich imaging and 鈥�-omics鈥�-based technologies that spatially map the cellular and molecular landscapes of tumors.
The SCIMAP innovation platform has played an instrumental role in numerous publications, from the GCI and beyond. Among them, GCI Prof. Ian Watson recently led a study on the , while GCI Prof. Daniela Quail used the SCIMAP platform for a project on how .
McGill Integrated Core for Animal Modeling (MICAM)
The premier resource in Quebec for pre-clinical disease modelling based on genetic engineering, MICAM is a leader in using CRISPR technologies to rapidly develop new models of cancer and other diseases that reproduce features observed in the clinic.
The MICAM innovation platform is at the core of much of our research at the GCI. Recent success stories using the MICAM platform include a paper describing how 听from the lab of Prof. Jose Teodoro and a paper on how 听from the lab of Prof. Dan Bernard. Owen Chen and Yilin Wang, GCI trainees in the laboratory of Prof. Jose Teodoro, are very thankful for the experimental support from MICAM personnel, especially from platform director Mitra Cowan. They shared that the platforms being located on-site at the GCI makes it much easier to reach out, conduct and troubleshoot experiments.
Metabolomics Innovation Resource (MIR)
The first and most advanced platform in Canada dedicated to cancer 鈥渕etabolomics鈥� 鈥� the comprehensive analysis of metabolism. A trailblazer in developing new technologies and methods for global metabolic analysis of tissue, cell and biological fluid samples.听
The MIR platform is one of the pillars of our research at the GCI.听Among its recent successes are major contributions to a study from the labs of Prof. Arnim Pause and Prof. Peter Siegel that uncovered , as well as the discovery by Prof. Lawrence Kazak of . The facility has contributed directly to studies by collaborators and clients across Canada, the U.S., and throughout the world.
Yilin Wang, PhD student and GCI trainee, said that the state-of-the-art instruments and technologies they provide have been beneficial to her doctoral project in studying the protein G0S2 in lipid metabolism and colorectal cancer.
McGill Platform for Cellular Perturbation (MPCP)
Offering genome-wide functional genomics screening with the capacity to systematically examine the function of every gene, identifying targetable vulnerabilities unique to each cancer type.
The MPCP innovation platform is a useful resource for many GCI-led projects, with over thirty labs using the service each year to advance their research. For instance, in 2022 alone, grants submitted to CIHR, NSERC and the Cancer Research Society - to name just a few competitions - utilized data obtained from the MPCP. Resources provided by the MPCP have enabled the recent discovery by Prof. Peter Siegel鈥檚 group of a , as well as a study from Prof. Sidong Huang鈥檚 lab revealing a . Hannah Hosein, PhD student and GCI trainee in the laboratory of Prof. Sidong Huang, shared that the MPCP has proven to be an invaluable resource for her project on validating therapeutic targets identified by genetic screens for pediatric cancer.
Histology Innovation Platform
A state-of-the-art platform for pathological analysis of tissue samples, incorporating technologies for high-throughput, multi-parameter imaging of tumor samples, with oversight by board-certified pathologist Dr. Marie-Christine Guiot (GCI Associate Member).
The histology innovation platform serves as the basis of multiple projects at the GCI. In the year 2021-2022 alone, over thirty high-level papers were published using histology data from this innovation platform. For instance, GCI professors Morag Park and Peter Siegel published a paper describing how . Adeline Mass茅, GCI trainee in the laboratory of Prof. William Muller, shared that this facility is extremely helpful to pre-clinical research such as her project on molecular mechanisms of breast cancer progression.听
Learn more about the histology platform
Flow Cytometry Innovation Platform
Featuring seven advanced flow cytometers for quantitative analysis of specific cell types and isolation of pure populations of cells from blood or tissue samples for further analysis.听The platform recently acquired instruments for a state-of-the-art technique known as 鈥渟pectral flow cytometry鈥� which allows over 40 parameters to be analyzed simultaneously on single cells.
The flow cytometry innovation platform is a one-of-a-kind platform at 香蕉视频. Its technologies and expertise have enabled many important advances, including the , in a collaborative study by Prof. Sidong Huang and GCI Associate Member Prof. Josie Ursini-Siegel. The platform also made essential contributions to a study from Prof. Yojiro Yamanaka鈥檚 group that yielded . Yu Gu, PhD student and GCI trainee in the laboratory of Prof. William Muller, shared that the flow cytometry facility offered comprehensive technical training that helped her investigate the immune profiles of recurrent breast tumours. Yilin Wang, PhD student and GCI trainee in听the laboratory of Prof. Jose Teodoro, finds that everyone from the platform is friendly, smart, approachable, and supportive, and that their help has been informative and very useful.