The CNSI Technology Centers provide unrestricted access to fully integrated R&D infrastructure, professional support and collaborative research opportunities in the fabrication, characterization and screening of nanomaterials, systems, and devices. Directed by a group of leading scientists, the Centers develop technologies that promote discovery through direct grant support, user proposals and industrial partnerships. Access to these facilities is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for students, postdocs, staff, faculty and industrial scientists, and is managed through the CNSI Laboratory Management System (CLMS).

EICN provides advanced electron imaging tools operating at scales ranging from micrometers to angstroms and delivers valuable structural information for biomolecular, molecular, and materials sciences as well as cell biology and microbiology.

ALMS supports the application of optical microscopic and spectroscopic methods to achieve high spatial and temporal resolution from whole in vivo animal imaging to sub-70 nm imaging using super-resolution nanoscopy techniques.

NPC offers microscopic techniques to characterize surfaces, adsorbates, nanostructures, materials and devices at the atomic and molecular scales under a wide range of experimental conditions.

MSSR provides industrial strength HTS capabilities at a capacity of >60,000 wells per assay per diem. A full suite of services leverages a curated ~200,000 small molecule library, arrayed genome wide shRNA, cDNA and siRNA libraries as well as CRISPR sets.

INML offers epitaxial services to address future technological needs using two, interconnected molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) systems for materials synthesis, growth monitoring, and characterization.

NanoLab provides access to a 20,000 square foot clean room in two locations on the UCLA campus for nanofabrication and characterization that integrates classic semiconductor tools and processes with biological, chemical, and medical substrates.
The Technology Centers also offer educational opportunities for the general public as well as non-expert academic and industrial communities in the form of tutorials, symposia and hands-on workshops.
Technology Center News and Events
July 27, 2022 | UCLA’s state-of-the-art, high-tech NanoLab is open to all
The UCLA NanoLab recently went through a multimillion-dollar upgrade to create the state-of-the-art, integrated spaces made possible by a combined investment from UCLA Samueli , CNSI and the office of UCLA’s vice chancellor of research. ...
May 4, 2022 | UCLA Engineers Develop Phage Therapy to Kill Bacteria
Bacterial infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to antibiotic resistance built up by bacteria as they evolve and adapt to medication. UCLA biomolecular engineers and their colleagues are developing an alternative therapy to treat wound infections...
May 3, 2022 | UCLA researchers develop non-destructive image processing method for advanced cancer research
A team led by Professor Shimon Weiss and former PhD student Arkaprabha Basu has developed an image processing technique, SPOCC, which quantifies cytoskeletal properties using microscopic images. UCLA researchers develop non-destructive...
May 2, 2022 | Core facilities are central hubs of discovery
Centralized and shared facilities at research institutions provide access to instruments, technologies, and services, such as expert consultation and sample processing. Core facilities reduce the equipment and labour costs of individual labs, and can facilitate close...
April 27, 2022 | CNSI launches three-part program to prepare students for entry into the California workforce
The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, also known as CNSI, is launching a three-part program, with support from the state of California, to enhance student engagement with industry partners and address the need for training that aligns with the needs of...
April 20, 2022 | UCLA-developed technology enables single-cell sorting by function
For nearly 40 years, drugmakers have used genetically engineered cells as tiny drug factories. Such cells can be programmed to secrete compounds that yield drugs used to treat cancer and autoimmune conditions such as arthritis. ...
February 23, 2022 | Advanced mass spectrometer comes to the CNSI Nano and Pico Characterization Lab
A resource new to UCLA’s Nano and Pico Characterization Laboratory (NPC) will offer researchers the opportunity to interrogate the physical and chemical properties of materials down to the nanoscale and beyond. Advanced mass spectrometer...
February 7, 2022 | Sweating the small stuff: Smartwatch developed at UCLA measures key stress hormone
Now, a UCLA research team has developed a device that could be a major step forward: a smartwatch that assesses cortisol levels found in sweat — accurately, noninvasively and in real time. Described in a study published in Science Advances, the technology could offer wearers the ability to read and react to an essential biochemical indicator of stress.
February 3, 2022 | Integrated NanoMaterials Laboratory expands resources
With a new location and added instrumentation, the Integrated NanoMaterials Laboratory (INML) now offers a complete set of tools for investigators at UCLA and beyond who study and develop state-of-the-art nanomaterials or nanostructures.
November 4, 2021 | Advanced 3D cell imager added to CNSI’s light microscopy resources
The Leica THUNDER Imager. The instrument removes out-of-focus light in real time, offering the best quality widefield images possible for studying live cells, cell cultures, tissue samples, stem cells, spheroids, organoids and more. The THUNDER Imager is available for use at the Advanced Light Microscopy and Spectroscopy Lab, an open-access Technology Center in the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA.
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