Welcome to the Structural Biology Core!
The Structural Biology Core at the University of Illinois Chicago is committed to advancing research in the molecular mechanisms of biology and disease by providing access to state-of-the-art instrumentation to analyze protein structures. Our facility houses a 600 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer equipped with a DCH cryoprobe, offering exceptional sensitivity for 13C detection—ideal for small molecule, natural product and protein-ligand interaction studies. The integrated autosampler enables high-throughput operation and increased accessibility for users. A helium recovery system ensures the efficient capture and re-use of this material during our analyses. We also offer full support for X-ray crystallography, including dedicated access to the Life Sciences Collaborative Access Team (LS-CAT) beamlines at the newly upgraded Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory. LS-CAT delivers intense X-ray beams focused by mirrors and beryllium lenses onto protein crystals. While LS-CAT continues to specialize in single-crystal cryo-crystallography, the recent APS upgrade significantly enhances flux density, enabling more challenging experiments such as microcrystal analysis, serial crystallography, room temperature crystallography and pump-probe crystallography. Our mission is to empower discovery through technical excellence, collaboration and comprehensive training in structural biology techniques.
Core Director
Research Resources Center Cores
Meet the Research Resources Center (RRC)
The Research Resources Center (RRC) is part of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Illinois Chicago. The RRC offers research faculty, staff and students a diverse inventory of high-end scientific equipment as well as a wide range of services offered by 17 core facilities staffed with highly skilled scientists. In addition, our staff trains the research faculty, staff and students to use the scientific equipment. Through the RRC, researchers also have access to statistical and computational support for data handling, data transfer and interpretation of experimental results. The Scientific Storeroom supports research on campus by supplying over 1,200 items while the Scientific Instrument Shop can fabricate one-of-a-kind models and repair complex scientific equipment. The RRC also welcomes external users doing scientific research.