Facilities

Neuroscience has become a highly technological discipline that requires expensive and complex equipments. The implementation of shared facilities allows the research community of the NeuroTimone center to have access to cutting-edge techniques to develop ambitious and globally competitive projects in different fields of research. These projects give rise to high-level scientific publications and to valorization and transfer through patents and the creation of innovative companies.

The NeuroTimone Facility PFNT is an integral part of this framework and offers cutting-edge tools in neurobiology organized around three main components:

• the “Neuro Cellular Imaging Support” NCIS is one of the two components of the PImaNT facility (Photonic Imaging NeuroTimone Facility), which offers a wide range of photonic imaging techniques to address the study of the brain and nervous system in all its complexity. The technologies offered by the NCIS are based on superresolution microscopy, high-throughput live cell imaging and fast high-resolution confocal microscopy. The second component of PImaNT, the INPHIM (In vivo Neuronal Photonic Imaging) hosted by the Institut des Neurosciences Timone (INT), combines in vivo and in vitro twophoton microscopy, light sheet microscopy, and mesoscopic and optogenetic optical imaging.

• the “Interactome NeuroTimone Platform” PINT is a platform focused on the detection and study of proteinprotein interactions by orthogonal and complementary biophysical approaches: surface plasmon resonance (SPR), microcalorimetry, analytical ultracentrifugation (UCA) and mass spectrometry.

• the “NeuroTimone Stem Cell Center” SCeNT is a cell culture infrastructure (including human cells, L2 level) for the preparation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells of patients and cellular models of pathologies derived therefrom.

These 3 components are complemented by a quantitative PCR platform, PTQPCR.

The proximity of the PFNT Facility with the "Center of Scientific Functional Exploration" CEFOS will complement molecular and cellular approaches with integrated approaches on animal models.

Each component of the PFNT Facility has a Users Committee moderated by the scientific supervisor and the engineer(s) responsible(s) for the component. Their recommendations are submitted to the PFNT Governance composed of a Steering and Coordination Committee (CPC) composed of the representatives of the AMU, Inserm and CNRS Supervisory Authorities, the supervisors of each component of the PFNT, the Secretary General of the PFNT, the PFNT Coordinator and chaired by the Director of the INP as the main home laboratory. The PFNT has a Scientific Strategic Committee composed of the CPC members and the team leaders of the PFNT adjoining laboratories.

In accordance with the charter of “Plateformes technologiques d’Aix-Marseille”, the technological services offered by the PFNT facility are open to public and private laboratories. Fees are established using the Tapla pricing tool.

The PFNT is supported by the State through the Regional Delegation for Research and Technology, the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur Region, the Bouches-du-Rhône Department and the City of Marseille. These supports registered in the state-region plan contract (CPER) will be complemented by European support, still under review, in the context of the FEDER program.