Core Facilities Day on Oct. 3 to highlight unique research tools at Montana State

BOZEMAN - Montana State University will host a networking and open house event next week to highlight a broad range of facilities and resources designed to foster cutting-edge research and innovation in Montana and beyond.

The university's inaugural Core Facilities Day, which is being sponsored by multiple organizations and businesses around the state, will be hosted Friday, Oct. 3, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the ballrooms of MSU's Strand Union Building. Individuals representing a dozen state-of-the-art facilities that support everything from advanced GIS technology to nanofabrication will host seminars and a networking lunch before breaking out for tours. The event is free to attend, but advance registration is required at montana.edu/calendar/events/54543.

Core facilities are unique, centralized research hubs that provide access to advanced instrumentation, the latest technologies and expert staff. They are designed to expedite and ease advancements by coalescing research infrastructure that scientists need to succeed. In addition to faculty, staff and students, members of the public who are interested in learning more about ongoing research at MSU are encouraged to attend the event.

"Core facilities can be thought of as force multipliers - by consolidating cutting-edge instrumentation and expertise in a centralized location, offering hands-on educational experiences for students, and helping to bridge research programs, they enable the completion of a high volume of research projects and drive scientific discovery," said Mary Gauvin, director of the services centers in MSU's Office of Research and Economic Development. "They are a win-win-win for MSU, researchers and taxpayers."

Core facilities have existed at MSU since the 1980s, Gauvin said, but more have been added over time to reflect the advancement of scientific instruments and emerging areas of research. In 2021, core facilities at MSU were centralized in the Office of Research and Economic Development, making them easier for faculty, staff, students and industry partners to access and utilize.

A dozen core facilities - eleven housed at MSU and one housed at the University of Montana - will participate in the Oct. 3 event, including:

• Animal Resources Center
• Cellular Analysis Core
• Center for Biofilm Engineering and Bioimaging and Analytical Core Labs
• Cryo-EM Facility
• Geospatial Core Facility
• Imaging and Chemical Analysis Laboratory
• Montana Microfabrication Facility
• Montana State Mass Spectrometry Facility
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility
• Research Cyberinfrastructure
• Social Data Collection and Analysis Services
• University of Montana Genomics Core

Gauvin said that she wants attendees to understand that accessing core facilities should not be viewed as a barrier, that staff are excited to facilitate cutting-edge research and happy to work directly with users to understand their research problem and get quality results. The event will also provide an opportunity to connect with partners across industries and disciplines, forge new relationships and explore untapped research collaborations.

"Core Facilities Day will be a recognition of the great value these groups bring to MSU, expanding the capabilities of the research our faculty are engaged in and providing training for our students in cutting-edge techniques and technologies," said Carl Yeoman, MSU's associate vice president for research. "Our core facilities are enhancing our ability to fulfill the university's land-grant mission of improving the lives and livelihoods of our communities through scholarship and building the skilled workforce to staff the industries of tomorrow."

More information about MSU's core facilities is available at montana.edu/research/corefacilities/.