Characteristics of the Laboratory

The services of the ISI-MR laboratory are linked to the work of the MR Research Group, which generally includes the development of measurement methods and technologies for biomedical and engineering applications of nuclear magnetic resonance. Priority is given to areas supporting clients using animal models in biomedical research with translational potential, i.e. with the prospect of a transfer to human medicine. In particular, the laboratory has an extensive experience with mouse and rat models of neurological, psychiatric, and oncological diseases.

Methodological development and biomedical research of the laboratory are thus two inseparable aspects of the work, the aim of which is to provide the biomedical research and development community with relevant, accurate, and precise information about the studied organs and processes, which should, ultimately, best promote progress in medicine within the constraints of current technology, science, time and financial resources, and with the least possible use of live animals.

An animal house, which is an integral part of the core facility, is available for short-term housing of SPF mice and rats during experiments; the laboratory staff is able to provide qualified support for the preparation of the animal study design. The equipment of the laboratory and the experience of the team can also be used in testing MR compatibility of materials or in studies of plants or porous materials. For experimental projects requiring multidisciplinary cooperation beyond the capabilities of the laboratory, the staff may recommend the inclusion of researchers from the long-term collaborating institutions (e.g. Masaryk University, Mendel University, St. Anne's University Hospital - ICRC).

The Magnetic Resonance Core Facility is an open access laboratory – a part of the European research infrastructure Euro-BioImaging and the Czech national research infrastructure Czech-BioImaging, which receives funding from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. Thanks to this support, the laboratory can be open to all interested users from Czechia or abroad.