One step ahead: Innovation in core facilities.

EMBO Reports (2019) 20: e48017[OpenUrl][1][FREE Full Text][2]Many life science research organizations and institutes have established core facilities to support scientists by providing access to specific technologies and expertise that a single laboratory could not support and maintain [1]. The working model of these facilities is determined to a large extent by the technology. Generation of tools, products or data can be carried out by the facility as a “customer service”. Others will offer access to their key technology and expertise through consultancy, collaboration and training. In some facilities, a combination of both models is worked out.u003e there is a constant turn‐over of techniques and technologies that requires core facilities to assess and adopt new opportunities.The first core facilities that were established during the 1990s mainly offered DNA sequencing and/or bioinformatics services. Since then, the number of technologies and services offered by core facilities has greatly increased to include proteomics, metabolomics, electron and light microscopy, high‐throughput screening, analysis or sample handling, or synthetic chemistry. Many of these facilities have come of age, and there is a clear tendency to expand services around the key activity. This provides opportunities to work together with and help scientists to explore new technologies and scientific questions but also creates challenges for facilities that depend on constant innovation and development. This article discusses some of potential benefits and challenges of constant innovation for academic core facilities.Expanding the range of services is a general trend in many businesses. Thirty years ago, airlines just flew a passenger from one airport to another. Nowadays, airlines offer customers a broad array of other services related to travelling: renting a car, booking a restaurant, or train or taxi shuttle to another city. Even though a core facility … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DEMBO%2BReports%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.15252%252Fembr.201948017%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F30872318%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=FULLu0026journalCode=emboru0026resid=20/4/e48017u0026atom=%2Fembor%2F20%2F4%2Fe48017.atom