Technical Equipment

Mobile laboratory units, of various sizes, some with BSL-2 areas, for conducting epidemiological studies at flexible locations, including the collection of human samples, sample characterization, sample processing, medical examinations with anthropometric measurements, general biological, physical, and chemical laboratory work, clinical chemistry analysis, as well as the storage and preservation of biological (sample) materials

• Mobile epiLAB (BSL-2 laboratory with cryostorage room in a negative-pressure environment; total of 66 square meters of workspace; with an airlock; two additional examination rooms and a waiting room; up to 12 workstations)
• BioSensoLAB (universal, freely configurable modular biological laboratory; 16 square meters of workspace; airlock; BSL-2-ready; two safety cabinets; refrigerators, freezers, and ultra-low-temperature freezers down to -80°C; chemical storage cabinet; up to 7 workstations)
• Labor-Mobil 01 and Labor-Mobil 02 (identical laboratories; compact, freely configurable biological laboratory based on a small delivery van (5.5 metric tons) with two separate, low-contamination work areas; modular concept with a quick-change system for different requirement profiles; 9 square meters of work surface; product safety fume hood; laboratory refrigerator and freezer; up to 3 workstations)
• Corona Test Mobile (compact, freely configurable biological laboratory based on a small van (3.5 metric tons, drivable with a Class B driver’s license) with two separate, low-contamination work areas; modular design with a quick-change system for different requirement profiles; 9 square meters of work surface; product safety fume hood; laboratory refrigerator and freezer; up to 3 workstations)

S2 safety-class laboratories with an airlock area for microbiological, molecular biological, cell biological, and virological work

• Various transmitted-light and reflected-light microscopes with phase and differential interference contrast, fluorescence, manipulation, and documentation units, and an incubation chamber (e. g., Nikon, EVOS)
• transmitted-light and fluorescence microscope with a z-axis-adjustable sample stage for 3D imaging of biological samples (Zeiss AxioObserver Z1)
• Cconfocal microscope equipped with a white-light laser and a continuous-wave laser with a wavelength of 405 nm (Leica TCS SP8-X)
• live-cell imaging systems (e. g., Nikon BioStation-IM)
• HPLC system (Agilent 1260 Infinity Series)
• mass spectrometer (Q Exactive FOCUS)
• asymmetric field-flow fractionation system with DLS and MALS detectors (Postnova)
• flow cytometers including sorting units (e. g., FACSAria, FACSCanto BD)
• spectrophotometers for absorption, fluorescence, and luminescence measurements in microtiter plates
• TER impedance measurement systems (cellZscope®, Ussing Chamber®) for transport studies and barrier function analyses of liquid-liquid interfacial layers
• Franz Zell System® (air-liquid interfacial layer model)
• VITROCELL® Cloud aerosol exposure system (air-liquid interface model)
• bioprinters for tissue engineering (Rokit invivo) and µContact printing (GeSiM µCP)
• various pipetting robots (GeSim Nanoplotter, Integra ViaFlo)
• ZetaSizer® Nano
• gel electrophoresis units for DNA, RNA, and proteins with documentation systems (e. g., Bioanalyzer, Agilent)
• Western blot unit (BioRad)
• real-time PCR system (QuantStudio 7, Applied Biosystems) and NanoDrop 2000 (Peqlab)
• cryomicrotome
• Amaxa Nucleofector for DNA/RNA transfection
• JPK Nanowizard II atomic force microscope
• Texture Analyzer (TA XT plus) for measuring sensory and tactile impressions

Laboratory for the automation of stem cell processes and material characterization (Würzburg)

• Various small-scale bioreactors (Eppendorf dasBOX, OLS OMNI Life Science CERO, Cellvivo Clinostar for organoids)
• spheroid/organoid analysis system (Celldynamics, W8 Physical Cytometer)
• cell culture analyzers (Nova Biomedical BioProfile Flex2)
• glucose/lactate sensors (C-CIT)
• live-cell microscope (Sartorius INCUCYTE S3)
• high-content analysis system (Yokogawa CellVoyager CQ1)
• extrusion bioprinter (CELLINK Bio X)
• DLP bioprinter (CELLINK Bionova X)
• nanoindenter for hydrogels (Optics11 PAVONE)
• lyophilizer (Martin Christ, Epsilon 1-4 LSCplus)
• Freeze-Drying Microscope (Biopharma Lyostat FDM)
• Functional Drug Screening System (Hamamatsu FDSS/µCELL)
• Multiwell Microelectrode Array (MEA) and Impedance System (Axion Biosystems, Maestro Pro)
• contractility measurement system for Cardiomyocytes (Curi Bio, Mantarray)
• atmospheric plasma device (neoplas kINPen)
• perfusion system for cell culture and bead production (fluigent)
• analysis systems for cell characterization: RT-qPCR, FACS, Western blot, etc.
• machine learning-based cell analysis systems (VAIDR, Sartorius, Yokogawa)

Optics laboratory for the operation and development of optical measurement technology

• Ultra-short-pulsed Ti:sapphire lasers, various other pulsed and continuous-wave (cw) laser sources
• Confocal Raman microscopy, Raman microspectrometry
• Multiphoton laser scanning microscope (Miltenyi TrimScope Matrix)
• UV/Vis/NIR spectrometer (Perkin Elmer Lambda 950)
• Fluorescence spectrometer (Hitachi FL4500)

Cryolaboratory for the preservation of biological samples using conventional and vitrification-based methods

• Askion C-line automated biobank and manual nitrogen-based storage tanks
• low-temperature workbenches for work below 80 °C (Askion)
• controlled freezers (e. g., SyLab, ViaFreeze Asysmptote)
• temperature-controlled thawing units (e. g., Thawstar BioCision)
• freeze dryers (Martin Christ)
• programmable cryogenic chambers for microscopy (Cryostage Linkam)
• dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (Perkin Elmer DSC8500), operable from -180 °C to 600 °C

Microsystems technology

• Coating/Microstructuring
  • complete photolithography system with resist processor and dual-sided mask aligner
  • polyimide imidization
  • surface activation
  • dry etching system (RIE) for silicon wafers as well as for plastic substrates
  • process system for anisotropic etching of silicon
  • thin-film processing systems (sputtering, PECVD)
  • Ddeposition system for Parylene C
  • lasers for drilling and cutting (e. g., silicon or aluminum oxide ceramics)
• Design tools
  • wafer saw
  • 3D printer
  • design tools for mask layou
  • 3D design
  • circuit layout for screen printing
• Laboratory for replication technologies (silicone molding; production of casting molds)
• Laboratory for the processing and fabrication of silicone structures, including the targeted optimization of their properties through biological functionalization of surfaces and the incorporation of special fillers
• Assembly and bonding technology (adhesive bonding, encapsulation, wire bonding)
  • die bonder
  • ball-wedge bonder
  • anodic bonder
  • hybrid lab line
• Printing technologies
  • screen printing (thick-film pastes on ceramics, graphene-based ink on polymer films)
  • Rrll-to-roll printing on polymer films (graphene-based ink, protein inks)
  • inkjet printing on polymer films and glass (carbon and metal inks)
• 3D CAD (SolidWorks)

Development and application of active implants

• test benches for assessing the impact of tissue on wireless communication and wireless power transfer
• laboratory for the development and application of devices and methods in clinical neurophysiology
• setup of application-specific test stations for conducting regulatory verification tests
• access to an EMC test station
• biotelemetry/Electronics/Software and Firmware
• telemetry laboratory equipped for professional electronics development and measurement, including digital RF oscilloscopes, programmable power supplies, spectrum analyzers, precision multimeters, etc.
• design tools for developing electronic circuits (Mentor Graphics, OrCAD, SolidWorks)
• electrical engineering lab for the development and fabrication of distributed sensor and actuator systems, including systems for physiological measurement and electrostimulation
• Ddevelopment tools for programming various 8-, 16-, and 32-bit microcontrollers and FPGAs
• simulation tools for simulating electromagnetic systems (ANSYS HFFS, Maxwell)
• access to fine-pitch SMD assembly and vapor-phase soldering equipment

Biomedical data management and development of AI-assisted systems

• XplOit data integration platform for consolidating and processing multimodal, heterogeneous medical data for AI model development
• adaptable app and web backend for patient diaries to support Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement

Simulation and software development

• Development environments for professional software development of complex systems, ranging from measurement technology to app development
• development systems for industrial image processing (location, position, OCR, pattern matching)
• IT infrastructure for standards-compliant software development
• Ssimulation software: ANSYS, PZFlex, PiezoCAD, Wave 2000 Pro
• software for hydrodynamic simulations (ANSYS FLOTRAN and CFX)
• PiezoCAD software for designing ultrasonic transducers based on the KLM model
• in-house software SCALP for sound field calculation and EVOLUTI for optimization based on genetic algorithms
• tools for simulating electromagnetic systems
• VR/AR components, e .g., HoloLens

Electronics development

• Single-channel ultrasound systems and multi-channel platforms for the development of signal processing, beamforming techniques, and imaging
• multi-channel programmable power pulse systems for the development of ultrasound-based stimulation and therapy methods
• PCB development environment for creating schematics and PCB layouts (Altium Designer)
• DSP and microcontroller development environments (Microchip, Motorola, STMicroelectronics)
• FPGA development environments (Xilinx Vivado and ISE Design Suite)
• telemetry development and manufacturing laboratory
• laboratory for the manufacturing of distributed sensor and actuator systems

Measurement technology

• SASAM acoustic microscopy systems up to 2 GHz
• laboratory flow measurement benches (speckle tracking, time-of-flight difference; liquid: 7 m/s, DN 50/100/200; gas: variable up to 30 m/s, DN 200)
• laser interferometer measurement station: UHF vibrometer up to 1.2 GHz (Polytec)
• laser systems of various wavelengths for optoacoustic applications
• 8-channel time-of-flight measurement system for airborne sound applications
• optoacoustic laboratory
• sound field measurement stations based on acoustic (calibrated hydrophones) and optical detection (schlieren optics)
• ultrasonic measurement tanks (0.8 x 1.5 x 0.9 m³, 0.8 x 2.25 x 0.8 m³, and 6 x 8 x 6 m³)
• automated sound field measurement stations with scanning ranges up to 0.5 x 1.1 x 0.7 m³)
• hydrophones, 2 kHz–10 MHz (RP S, RP Acoustics)
• microphones, 4 Hz–2 MHz (Bruel & Kjaer and XARION)
• ultrasonic power meter (sound power meter), 0.5–10 MHz, up to 30 W (SECULIVE UP, GMC Instruments)
• EMC test station
  • analytics
  • electrochemical workstations, multichannel potentiostat/galvanostat (Methrom Autolab)
  • portable impedance meters
  • Scanning electron microscope with EDX
  • Scanning probe microscopes (AFM, STM, MFM)
  • electrical impedance spectroscopy
  • measurement of leakage currents under mechanical stress
  • profilometers (optical and mechanical)
  • optical measuring instrument for measuring the thickness of transparent layers

Manufacturing technology

• CNC precision saws (Disco DAD 321 and DAD 3360, as well as Loadpoint Macroace)
• CNC surface and profile grinding machine (Amada Meister G3)
• CNC laser cutting and welding system (Trumpf)
• CNC micro-drilling, milling, and grinding machine (Kern), working area: 220 x 160 x 200 mm, swiveling NC rotary table, 5-axis
• 5-tank ultrasonic cleaning system
• fully parametric 3D CAD systems (SolidWorks)Xarion ETA450 
• optical microphone