Core facilities

iBraiN technological facilities

iBraiN offers scientific expertise and technological facilities for pluridisciplinar and translational exploration of neuropsychiatric disorders, from the molecule to human subject. These facilities are accessible to the academic and private communities for collaborative research projects.

Scientific expertise

• Training for primary cell culture (neurons, motor neurons);
• Cellular neurobiology;
• Molecular biology and biochemistry;
• Genetics and epigenetics.

 

Equipment

• Miltenyi Biotech®, GentleMACS Dissociator;
• Leica® MZ95 stereomicroscope;
• Leica® CTR 5500 B confocal microscope (FRAP);
• Evos epifluorescence microscope M5000 with stage incubator;
• Primary cell culture room;
• Bio-Rad Chemidoc Touch.

 

 

 

Contact

F. Laumonnier & P. Vourc'h 
_{Inserm UMR 1253, iBraiN,
Faculty of Medicine, 10 bd Tonnellé
BP 3223 - 37032 Tours}

Scientific expertise

• Development of feasibility study;
• Management of research projects;
• Neurophysiology;
• Animal behavior.

Equipment

• Radiotelemetry devices for locomotor activity, ECG, Arterial blood pressure, EMG;
• Behavioral testing for cognition and emotion: Videotracking (Ethovision®);
• Stereotaxic surgery;
• Optogenetic devices (Prizmatix®);
• 32 channels in‐vivo electrophysiology (Axona®);
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS, Animal), MagVenture®;
• In vivo Calcium imaging (Inscopix® (miniscope) et Doric® (photométrie).

Development of tools & methodologies

• Innovative behavioral tests;
• Transcranial neurostimulation.

Contact

A. Surget & S. Leman
_{Inserm UMR 1253, iBraiN,
Parc Grandmont,
37200 Tours - France.}

Scientific expertise

• Human neurophysiology: EEG, EMG, ECG;
• Eye-tracking: oculometry and pupillometry; 
• Cognitive neurosciences;
• Fine‐grained clinical examinations;
• Signal acquisition and processing.

Equipment

• Eye tracking systems 
• EEG recording systems_;
• Vibrotactile stimulation system (Dancer Design®Tactor); 
• Neuro-vegetative recording systems: 
• Facial emotion recognition system (Noldus® FaceReader);
• Emotional response recording system using Experience Sampling Method (ESM Ipod®);
• Video network acquisition system connected to every unit of the department (12 HD cameras, video database, Povitech® Archive);
• Bioclinical database (Oracle® database hosted by the hospital); 
• Access to a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE Imagin-VR®).

Contact

M. Gomot & F. Bonnet-Brilhault
_{Inserm UMR 1253, iBraiN, CHRU Bretonneau,
2 boulevard Tonnellé,
37000 Tours ‐ France.}

The CERRP has a strong translational expertise, from chemistry/radiochemistry to fluorine-18 radiopharmaceuticals production for biomedical research. This collaborative structure is legally authorized to handle radioactivity and produce radiotracers and radiopharmaceuticals by the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM), the Regional Agency for Healthy (ARS) and the French Nuclear Safety (ASN).

More information

Contact:

J. Vercouillie
_{CERRP - 1‐3 Germaine Richier, 37100 Tours}

Analysis of Biological Systems platform (PST-ASB)

Since 1995, the analysis of biological systems facility offers methodological and human resources adapted to different research projects for biomedical and chemical analysis. It is subdivided in five departments: Chemical Analysis and Metabolomics, Genomics, Microscopies, Flow Cytometry and Preclinical Imaging.
  More information

Zootechnic platform (PST-A)

This facilities offers animal housing during experimental protocols and allows access to surgical, imaging and behavioral analyses equipment's.

Large Animal Surgery and Imaging plaftorm (PIXANIM)

The CIRE facility offers services for academic research, training and innovation in human healthcare, and animal breeding and healthcare. This facility brings together all of the imaging and surgical equipment to lead innovative research on large animals.