NBT facility encompasses 4 complementary services (P3Bio, Neuro-Vir, Connecto-Vir and BioClin). While access to P3Bio is restricted to INT members, Neuro-Vir, Connecto-Vir and BioClin are opened to INT team collaborators as well as external users (service submitted to a fee)(to inquire about services conditions and pricing information please contact : eduardo.gascon-gonzalo at univ-amu.fr or gilbert.baillat at univ-amu.fr)

P3Bio

P3Bio (Molecular BIOlogy, cell BIOlogy and et BIOchemistry facility) is an INT common service. P3Bio aims are :

• • Providing technical and scientific support to use of dedicated equipment in these areas as well as helping in setting up adapted experimental protocols.
• • Management and maintenance of shared equipment
• • Establishment of guidelines ensuring the availability, security and optimal performance of the equipment
• • Genotyping services based on classical and quantitative PCR depending on the project
• • Supporting development of novel/innovative technologies

Neuro-Vir

Neuro-Vir is a vector development and production service especially designed for neuroscientists. Neuro-Vir offers the state of the art technologies and savoir-faire to generate high quality AAVs or lentiviral vectors for in vitro (cell lines, stem cells or primary cultures) or in vivo applications (rodent and non-human primates brain). Production is performed following the highest biosafety standards (from BSL-I to BSL-III laboratory) from the national competent agency (Haut Conseil des Biotechnologies) and from the internal biosafety committee.

More specifically Neuro-Vir provides :

• • Vectors allowing the overexpression of an endogenous gene or a non-coding sequence (e.g. lncRNAs).
• • Vectors allowing the knockdown of a gene via the expression of siRNAs or miRNAs.
• • Vectors based on CRISPR-Cas9 allowing knockout/knockin of an endogenous gene
• • Inducible (e.g. Tet-ON) and conditional (e.g Floxed sequences) vectors.
• • Vector production and titration (qPCR).
• • Stock management and experimental space for BSL-III level vectors.
• • Biosafety guidelines to users
• • Scientific and technical feedback to users for vector choice, construct design, cloning strategy and/or experimental setup for in vivo neuroscience applications (e.g. optimal injection protocol)
• • Support for the implementation of novel technologies (e.g. novel neuron-specific promoters) and/or improvement of existing techniques le (e.g. magneto and optogenetics, calcium sensors …).

Connecto-Vir Plateform

Connecto-Vir offers the use of neurotropic viruses (rabies or herpes) for those scientists interested in exploring the functional neuroanatomy in mammals (rodents and non-human primates). Under the supervision of Dr Patrice Coulon (patrice.coulon at univ-amu.fr) and ensuring the respect of national and international ethical guidelines, Connecto-Vir provides the following services :

• • Vector production in a BSL-III environment (for those requiring such conditions) following the highest biosafety standards from the national competent agency (Haut Conseil des Biotechnologies) and from the internal biosafety committee
• • Experimental BSL-III space to carry out in vivo experiments (dedicated animal housing space)
• • Viral stock management
• • Experimental protocol design and optimization (injection sites, time …) with the user.
• • Help in result interpretation
• • Development and adaptations to different animal models.
• • Enforcement and application of biosafety rules

BioClin

This service aims at promoting translational research at INT and helping in the transition from basic research implemented at the institute to preclinical studies in collaboration with the hospital and/or biopharmaceuticals companies (e.g. biomarkers research). BioClin benefits from the support and expertise of the Immunology Laboratory at the University Hospital of Marseille (Director Dr J. Boucraut jose.boucraut at univ-amu.fr). BioClin will provide advice, feedback and support in the elaboration of clinical protocols (e.g. autorizations, ethical rules …). It will also serve as an incubator to promote reciprocal interactions between basic researchers and clinicians (e.g. choice of human samples, cohorts design, selection of the most appropriate biological technique for a particular project …)