Infrastructure and Technology Platforms

Infrastructure and Technology Platforms

Across our national academic and clinical network, we have access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure and competencies. Our ability to combine and apply these technologies across our themes of Diagnosis, Therapeutics and Digital Health makes us distinctive and excellent and provides a one-stop-shop for translational partnerships.

Our five Key-Enabling Technology Platforms are:

Technology Platform I (Genomics, bioinformatics and computational biology)

• Next-generation bulk sequencing platforms, DNA, WGS, exome, RNA and epigenetics.
• Proteomics core (Mass spectrometry).
• Bioinformatics and systems biology core.
• High Performance Compute and storage facilities for datasets.

Technology Platform II (Preclinical modelling and disease phenotyping)

• Mouse models: TLE, Dravet, CDKL5, Rett, TBI, ALS, AD, psychosis, and Claudin5 knockdown.
• Comprehensive pre-clinical in vivo phenotyping and behavioural analysis.
• Human models: iPSC generation, acute and organotypic human brain slice.
• Electrophysiology:
• • Patchliner (automated patch clamp system) for high-throughput ion channel analysis.
  • Multiwell-MEA systems and MEA2100-Mini-System for extracellular recordings in cultured neurons, brain slices, and organoids.
  • In vivo recording unit for neural network activity in live mouse models.
• Imaging:
• • ZEISS LSM 900 with Airyscan 2 for functional imaging including calcium and membrane potential imaging.
• Molecular, cellular and brain imaging.
• Supporting cores in AAV vector production, bioinformatics, and transgenic mice.

Technology Platform III (Companion Diagnostics)

• High-speed electrochemistry.
• Sensor system development.
• Human neurophysiology and brain function (fMRI, DCEMRI, high-density EEG).
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Technology Platform IV (Digital Health) 

• Longitudinal Patient registries: Epilepsy (>11,000 patients), ALS (>2,500 patients).
• Expanding registries in Multiple Sclerosis and rare monogenic epilepsies.
• Clinical data analytics using AI.
• Patient portal infrastructure.
• Digital ethics framework for Secondary Use of Patient Data.

Technology Platform V (Clinical trials infrastructure)

• Clinical Research Centres at Beaumont, St James’, Cork University hospitals and Children’s Health Ireland.
• Electronic trials infrastructure: Precision ALS and BESTS (epilepsy) data infrastructures in development, integration of multi-modal data sets.
• Support for ethics and health regulatory application process.
• In-patient epilepsy monitoring units, integration of wearables.
• Biobanking: DNA, CSF, plasma/serum, fibroblasts.