Page 60 - Hormel Institute Annual Report 2021-22

FY21 ANNUAL REPORT
60 | THE HORMEL INSTITUTE // UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA OPERATIONS DEPARTMENTS
Research Support
Kim Klukas / Manager
The Research Support Department strives to provide top-notch services to the Institute’s scientists. This year, we attended national meetings and training to further develop our skills. We began working with the Minnesota
Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and hired an intern to work in our department. We
are looking forward to continuing our partnership with DEED to offer work experiences at the Institute. We are in the beginning stages of starting contract research and are hoping to offer study support for small biotech startups.
Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility
Janarjan Bhandari, PhD / Manager
The Cryo-EM Facility at The Hormel Institute houses the state of the art Titan Krios cryo-electron microscope,
one of the most powerful microscopes in the world.
It is able to map the tiniest part of a protein at a near atomic resolution, allowing our scientists to investigate the structural details and functions of a protein, which is crucial for developing new treatments and therapies for diseases like cancer and COVID-19. This year, several major updates were made to the Cryo-EM Facility, including upgrading the camera system to ensure the technology is as up to date and functional as possible for
our scientists. We are working to launch the Cryo-EM Pilot Project which will allow us to open our facility to users from other organizations, including Mayo Clinic. Our goal is to continue to secure The Hormel Institute’s place as a global leader in this cutting edge technology.
Instrument Core Facility
Todd Schuster / Manager
The Shared Resoures Department provides training, assistance, and access to the shared instruments that are essential to the research our scientists conduct. As we work to best support our scientists with their needs, our goal is to implement The Hormel Institute’s strategic plan as it applies to shared instruments, while continuing to provide the
Research Computing and Information Technology
Jeffrey McDonald, PhD / Manager
The Research Computing and Information Technology Department works to ensure that The Hormel Institute’s employees have access to the most up to date technology and that the equipment and networks are functioning at the highest capacity. This year, we implemented several new technologies to best support all
of our employees on multiple levels. We will continue to stay up to date on the latest tech- nologies as we work toward our mission of creating an efficient work environment for all.
best service to our users.