Cutting-edge bioscience research requires the latest and most advanced discovery resources: the tools, technologies and training that enable investigators to work at the frontiers of their field. To facilitate such pioneering research, the Biosciences Initiative (BSI) focused on three key areas of investment: creating a single, unified platform for finding exceptional resources already available across U-M’s vast research enterprise; allocating funds for new cores or discovery resource facilities containing a collection of top-of-the-line tools; and supporting the acquisition of new technologies for existing cores.

Michigan Research Cores Directory

The University of Michigan has an expansive collection of bioscience discovery resources. What the community lacked, however, was a centralized and publicly accessible website for identifying what was available to campus researchers.

BSI partnered with the Medical School to create the Michigan Research Cores website to improve awareness and maximize utilization of campus tools and resources. With a user-friendly search function that allows filtering by services, equipment and locations, the website helps researchers quickly identify the best campus resources available for their specific needs.

Discovery Cores

As the biosciences rapidly evolve, so do researchers’ equipment needs. New technologies are constantly being released, which can improve current research and open new lines of inquiry.

Consequently, the BSI has allocated over $25 million to its nine Scientific Research Initiatives (SRI) and the broader biosciences community to help create new shareable and self-contained discovery centers with a collection of resources, from specialized equipment to computational software to one-on-one training sessions. In total, 14 discovery resources and facilities have been created or enhanced (see map for details).

Our SRIs have made their own contributions to this endeavor, collaborating with other departments and schools to acquire discovery resources that will foster next-level research. For example, the Single Cell-Spatial Analysis Program contributed to the purchase of advanced tools like the 10x Genomics and Visium Systems.

Collectively, these efforts have filled critical gaps in the availability and usability of top-of-the-line biosciences research resources at U-M.