Core Facilities have a mission to facilitate high-impact research and scholarship, and to provide distinctive, high-quality educational opportunities for students. Serving MSU researchers, external academics, and industry, our facilities are accessible, collaborative, and offer competitive rates which allows you to reach your research or industry goals on your timeline. Learn more about our services below, or email corefacilities@montana.edu for more information.

Animal Resources Center (ARC)

fish in tank

The Animal Resources Center (ARC) is an AAALAC approved animal research facility, providing researchers with the opportunity to study a diverse number of animal species. 

RRID:SCR_026351

Director: Kerri Jones

Applied Research Lab

ARL building with mountain

The Applied Research Lab (ARL) utilizes MSU faculty, students, and staff combined with Montana industry to engage in many areas of the university’s research expertise, including laser and photonics, advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, and cyber security.

Director: Al Deibert
Program Lead: Ben Dahlke

Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE) - Bioimaging & Analytical Cores

cbe image

The CBE Bioimaging and Analytical Core Labs offer cutting edge imaging and analysis of intact biofilms for academia and industry at the heart of the Center for Biofilm Engineering at MSU. 

RRID:SCR_026519

Director: Matthew Fields  

Managers: Heidi Smith and Kristen Connolly

Cellular Analysis Core (CAC)

Cellular Analysis Core

The CAC provides access to functional, up-to-date equipment for flow cytometric analysis and cell sorting, histological sample preparation, and single cell RNA Sequencing.

RRID:SCR_026328

Director: Diane Bimczok 

Manager: Andy Sebrell 

Cryo-EM Facility

cryo-em image

The Cryo-EM core facility at MSU is a regional facility that brings state of the art cryo-EM capabilities, including single particle analysis and cryo-electron tomography, to the Northern Rocky Mountains. 

RRID:SCR_026324

Director: Martin Lawrence   

Manager: Vacant

Geospatial Core Facility (GCF)

geospatial image

The Geospatial Core Facility (GCF) provides advanced geospatial technologies, data analysis, and expertise to support interdisciplinary research. The GCF collaborates across multiple disciplines to tackle complex spatial challenges using cutting-edge geospatial tools. 

RRID:SCR_026332

Director: Eric Sproles
Manager: Jackson Rose

Imaging and Chemical Analysis Laboratory (ICAL)

ICAL

ICAL specializes in complementary surface, interfacial, and bulk characterization of materials via high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy with a suite of tools including FE-SEM imaging and EDS/EBSD/CL analysis; XRD; AFM; and Auger Nanoprobe analysis. 

RRID:SCR_026325

Director: Recep Avci
Manager: Sara Zacher

Montana Microfabrication Facility (MMF)

person in PPE working in lab

The MMF is a micro and nanofabrication facility that offers a range of processing and packaging capabilities including lithography, wet and dry etching, thin film deposition, dicing, wire bonding, metrology, and inspection.

RRID:SCR_026333

Director: David Dickensheets   

Manager: Andrew Lingley

Montana State Mass Spectrometry Facility (MSMS)

MSMS

The MSMS facility houses seven mass spectrometers that enable mass analysis of a range of analytes; e.g. volatiles and semi-volatiles, biomolecules, environmental contaminants, and elements.

RRID:SCR_012482

Director: Brian Bothner  

Manager: Don Smith

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

NMR image

The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Core Facility houses four state-of-the-art solution NMR spectrometers of different magnetic field strengths and complementary NMR capabilities. 

RRID:SCR_026334

Director: Valérie Copié  

Manager: Brian Tripet

Research Cyberinfrastructure (RCI)

HPC with equipment

RCI provides high-performance computing (HPC), virtual machine hosting, large scale storage, high-performance networking and data transfer systems and services.

RRID:SCR_026229

Director: Coltran Hophan-Nichols

Social Data Collection and Analysis Services

door leading to SDCAS

Social Data Collection and Analysis Services (Social Data) is a facility at Montana State University that enables the collection of high-quality data for researchers employing a variety of social and behavioral methods. 

RRID:SCR_026326

Director: Eric Raile
Manager: Greta Linse