MERLN Facilities
The MERLN facilities include new laboratory space optimized for cell culture, wet analysis techniques, materials synthesis/processing, microscopy, and fabrication. These open and collaborative lab spaces have been coupled with an open "activity based working" office in order to facilitate interdisciplinary work within the institute and the university.
Labs
Our labs span over 520 square meters, including a 75 square meter ML2 tissue culture room, 60 square meters of fabrication facilities (with an ISO 7 clean room), 5 hoods for chemical synthesis, and high-performance computing. Below you can find a breakdown of the facilities and major instruments we have.
Life sciences
- Laminar flow cabinets (8x)
- FACS BD Accuri C6
- Gel imager Biorad ChemiDoc MP
- Odyssey CLx
- BMG CLARIOStar
- Bio-Rad CFX96 qPCR (2x)
- Fully equipped for histology
Microscopy
- Live cell imaging Nikon TI-E with environmental control (fully automated)
- Slide scanning Nikon TI-E (fully automated)
- Inverted fluorescence microscope Nikon TI-S
- Upright fluorescence microscope Nikon E-600
- Stereomicroscope with automatic capability SMZ25
UM facilities
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Animal husbandry facility
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Electron microscopy (M4I)
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Materials characterization (Chemelot and Enabling Technologies)
Fabrication & Microfluidics
- Clean Room (ISO 7, 20 m2) yellow light area
- Sputter coater
- Micromilling Minitech Mini-mill/GX
- Polymer thin film exrusion (Dr. Collins)
- Heated press ServiTec Polystat 300s
- Knife casting
- Nanoscribe (two photon polymerization nanolithography)
- UV LED lithography station
- Microthermoforming
- Plasma cleaner
- Spin Coater
- Cetoni neMESYS
Computational resources
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Image analysis server
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2x Intel Xeon 4116 2.40 GHz CPU
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128 GB RAM
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NVIDIA Quadro P1000 4GB
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512 GB SSD
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4x 6TB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drives
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Computational server
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Remote HPZ820 Workstation
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2x Intel Xeon E5 2.80 GHz CPU (20 physical, 40 logical cores)
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128 GB RAM
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NVIDIA Quadro K2000 2GB
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Remote Storage
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200 TB mirrored storage
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Analysis desktop
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Intel Xeon E5 3.10 GHz CPU
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64 GB RAM
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NVIDIA Quadro K4200 4GB
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32 inch IPS monitor
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2TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
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Biofabrication, chemistry & materials science
- FTIR Nicolet iS50
- Contact angle Krüss DSA25S
- Bioscaffolder 3.1 GESIM
- Biosynthesizer GESIM
- Envisiontec bioplotter
- Bioscaffolder SYSeng
- BioX Cellink
- 6DOF Robotic arm
- DLP stereolithography Roland ARM-10
- Milling machine Roland SRM-20
- Triple-axis electrospinner (custom built)
- Bioinicia electrospinner
- Gas plasma FEMTO
- ICP-MS
- SEM
- XRD
- Nanoindenter Piuma Optics 11
- Mechanical tester
- Rheometer
- Film caster
- Synthetic organic facilities
- Ceramics synthesis facilities
Activity based workplace
In building MERLN's new home, we wanted to make sure that we created the most open and collaborative environment possible. We decided to employ an "activity based workplace" concept to the design of our offices. In the mindset of activity based working, you lose your desk, but gain your freedom. We have different workstations that are set up and optimized for different tasks that you select based on the job you are doing at that moment. With isolated meeting rooms, adjustable desks with monitors, and quiet reading spots, you no longer have to sit at your desk all day long.

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Designed by Wending Interieurarchtectuur, our offices opened to full capacity in April 2015. If you wish to learn more about the "activity base workplace" concept, feel free to watch this video.
Photos: Loraine Bodewes