Oliver Renaud ¹, Nathalie Aulner ², Audrey Salles ², Nadia Halidi ³, Maia Brunstein ⁴, Adeline Mallet ⁵, Karin Aumayr ^6 7, Stefan Terjung ⁸, Daniel Levy ¹, Saskia Lippens ⁹, Jean-Marc Verbavatz ¹⁰, Thomas Heuser ¹¹, Rachel Santarella-Mellwig ¹², Jean-Yves Tinevez ¹³, Tatiana Woller ^14 15, Alexander Botzki ¹⁶, Christopher Cawthorne ¹⁷; Core4Life Consortium; Sebastian Munck ^15 18

Abstract: Modern life science research is a collaborative effort. Few research groups can single-handedly support the necessary equipment, expertise and personnel needed for the ever-expanding portfolio of technologies that are required across multiple disciplines in today’s life science endeavours. Thus, research institutes are increasingly setting up scientific core facilities to provide access and specialised support for cutting-edge technologies. Maintaining the momentum needed to carry out leading research while ensuring high-quality daily operations is an ongoing challenge, regardless of the resources allocated to establish such facilities. Here, we outline and discuss the range of activities required to keep things running once a scientific imaging core facility has been established. These include managing a wide range of equipment and users, handling repairs and service contracts, planning for equipment upgrades, renewals, or decommissioning, and continuously upskilling while balancing innovation and consolidation.

Link to full paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jmi.13304