ABSTRACT
The current rapid evolution of technologies available for life science research, along with the scarcity of funding to invest, has called for a thorough reorganization of research infrastructures, and led to the creation of core facilities. These are centralized platforms within a network or a single research center that aim at facilitating access to instruments and complex technologies through the expertise of dedicated personnel, i.e. ‘collaborators who never say no, as long as the project is technically feasible’ (J. Lannigan, University of Virginia). As Italy now attempts to take itself up to speed with the rest of Europe in networking the diverse realities across universities and other entities, through the establishment of the Network of Italian Core Facilities (NICo), UNIBO has expanded the participation of several Departments to the Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA), making it de facto the life science core facilities for all interested in pursuing a project in life science. The presentation will describe the CRBA, means of access, technologies available and the opportunities for scientific growth, both individual and as a community.