AIM Core

Welcome to the Core Facility of the

Autophagy, Inflammation and Metabolism (AIM) Center for Biomedical Research Excellence

We offer instruments that focus on High Content Analysis of image-based data, to support a wide breadth of scientific questions, especially Autophagy, Inflammation and Metabolism.

https://www.autophagy.center/cores

Would you like to use our awesome facility? Here's how!

Step 1: EACH user MUST have a up-to-date UNM iLabs account.

* Know your password

* Even summer students and all temporary users must do this

* No sharing login info* No "lab" accounts to cover multiple users

* Report role/status changes asap (ex: tech to grad student or grad student to postdoc) to aimcore@salud.unm.edu

* Report changes in lab affiliation asap (finishing rotations/ switching labs)

Step 2: PIs must give new users permissions to access specific index numbers

* PIs must email aimcore@salud.unm.edu to let us know which new members can have access to which specific index numbers.

* We cannot give users access to funds/index/accounts without the expressed permission of their PI.

Step 3: ALL users MUST complete AIM Core Orientation BEFORE training on/using equipment.

Use Staff Assistance Booking page to schedule your orientation

https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/AIMcore1@salud.unm.edu/bookings/

* PRIOR to attending your orientation, please successfully log into iLabs on your phone to save the login and password.

* Bring your cell phone with a working QR Code Reader

* Know your iLabs login and password

* Any user who cannot independently schedule instruments AND staff assistance will be required to repeat orientation training

* AIM Core Orientation SOP

Step 4: ALL users must be trained by AIM CORE STAFF on every instrument they wish to use.

*Senior lab members can provide additional training to new users, but AIM CORE STAFF are the only ones who can clear instrument usage

Schedule equipment training on 1) iLabs AND 2) Staff Booking page simultaneously for the SAME TIME SLOT:

Staff Assistance Booking through OUTLOOK

Guidance of AIM core staff supercedes any training offered by individual labs for the safety of the instruments.***

For large equipment (Amnis, CX7, Confocal, Seahorse and IsoLight) there is an hourly charge for instrument use

Schedule a “Brief Chat” with us via Staff Booking to discuss the details of your experiment

What kind of data you hope to get / your scientific questions
Machine capabilities
Appropriate sample prep (channels, cell type)

You need to reserve BOTH the equipment (iLabs) AND the Staff time (outlook booking system) for instrument training for the SAME time slot
You will likely need multiple training sessions until you are an INDEPENDENT USER (someone who can safely operate the equipment by themselves)

For smaller equipment: plate readers, chemidocs ultracentrifuges, FPLC, ITC

Schedule a 1 hr training session for small equipment on both iLabs and Staff Booking.
You need to reserve BOTH the equipment (iLabs) AND the Staff time (outlook booking system) for instrument training for the SAME time slot

Step 5: Requesting badge access (takes ~3 business days to clear after request is made)

ONLY once you can demonstrate instrument safety and competence, the AIM Core staff with change your status to a “Trained User” giving you after-hours access to reserve instrument independently
You may then request for badge access to the room.
Prior to earning badge access, you are allowed to use the equipment during hours of operation when staff are available.

Step 6: Grant acknowlegement P20GW12117.

All users must cite the AIM CoBRE in posters and platform presentations that contain data generated in our facility by acknowledging NIH grant P20GW12117.

Please cite AND link your manuscript PMCIDs to NIH grant P20GW12117.

The mission of the AIM Scientific Core is to ensure that researchers are at the forefront of autophagy and its intersections with inflammation and metabolism in a full spectrum of diseases by:

Providing an intellectual and technological hub for exceptional service, training, cutting-edge and centralized instrumentation to discover and answer robust, unbiased and significant research questions related to mechanisms of inflammation and metabolism in health and disease with a strong focus, but not limited to, autophagy-related mechanisms.
Developing a cadre of excellent investigators and faculty via multi-year projects and cross-disciplinary collaborations to enhance the research base and research funding at UNM and statewide with aims to grow into a nationally and internationally recognized CoBRE Core Center.
Our Key Technical Capabilities:

Providing Core, Instrument and Project Consultation
Instrument Training, Assisted/Unassisted Instrument Usage and
Assisted/Unassisted Imaging and Data Analysis

The AIM center is supported by NIH grant P20GM121176

All publications that include data produced in the AIM Core MUST be

BOTH linked to NIH grant P20GM121176
AND cited within the body in the paper
Click here for instructions

All posters and platform presentations MUST cite NIH grant P20GM121176

sample language to include on your posters:

(mPIs, pilots): The AIM center is supported by NIH grant P20GM121176 from NIGMS

(general): This work was supported by NIH grant P20GM121176

(non-paying associate members acknowledging core usage): This work was supported by the AIM Core funded by NIH grant P20GM121176

(EC members, mentors acknowledging AIM salary support): X.Y. was supported by NIH grant P20GM121176

If you wish to acknowledge AIM affiliation in papers (and other means of communication including internet) please add to your affiliation line: "Autophagy Inflammation and Metabolism Center of Biomedical Research Excellence...."