FINStruct

Structural Biology Finland and Instruct-ERIC Centre Finland research infrastructures

Structural Biology Finland (FINStruct)

FINStruct is a national, coordinated, multi-institution, open-access, research infrastructure network (previous Instruct Finland, Instruct-FI until 2020). It provides integrated structural biology services and training to support research and innovation in life science. FINStruct services are provided by core facilities in five universities (Helsinki, Oulu, Eastern Finland, Turku, and Åbo Academi), and coordinated by the University of Helsinki. FINStruct is included on , and . FINStruct is the , and coordinates all research infrastructure requirements of the national structural biology network.

FINStruct Coordination Hub at the University of Helsinki

  • Director, Professor
  • Coordinator, Adjunct Professor
  • Coordinates FINStruct and Instruct-ERIC Centre Finland

FINStruct services

FINStruct spearheads international research and development in biomolecular complex purification (Biocomplex); cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM); native mass spectrometry (native-MS); structural bioinformatics, X-ray crystallography and data management. Each unit is a core facility of the research providing organizations. FINStruct serves the entire research community, academia and industry, nationally and internationally. CryoEM, Biocomplex, SCoPE-MS, Biocenter Oulu, and Biocenter Kuopio services can be also accessed through Instruct-ERIC (see below and for Instruct-ERIC access).

  • (), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences & Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki
  • () Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE / Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki
  • (), Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastearn Finland
  • (), Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu
  • (), Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE / Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki
  • (), BioCity Turku, University of Turku
  • (), BioCity Turku, Åbo Akademi University

Instruct-ERIC Centre Finland

is one of the successful operators at the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures () with s a landmark status on the (2016). Accesses are provided at the scientifically evaluated and accepted that are located across the Europe. Instruct-ERIC member states host Instruct Centres that provide infrastructure and expertise supporting the mission and objectives of the Instruct-ERIC. Instruct-ERIC provides also the following resources:

  • Provides to innovative equipment to industrial & academic scientists worldwide
  • Delivers by internationally recognized experts
  • Provides funding for students - of 6-month in Instruct Centres
  • Provides funding for

Finland became a full member of Instruct-ERIC in 2019. In February 2020, services were opened and are available through the for international and national use (). FINStruct provides a distributed Instruct Centre Finland, which is a national node of Instruct-ERIC. Being a member of Instruct-ERIC allows scientists from Finland to access the wide of cutting-edge structural biology technologies, including to enable important research discoveries in molecular bioscience.

Instruct-ERIC Centre Finland services

  • (Biocomplex), University of Helsinki, Finland
  • , University of Helsinki, Finland
  • (SCoPE-MS), University of Helsinki, Finland
  • , Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
  • , Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
  • , Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland
  • , Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, Finland

Funding for Instruct-ERIC Access

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How to acknowledge FINStruct and Instruct-ERIC

For all publication and theses of research resulting from FINStruct or Instruct-ERIC Centre Finland access and use of services, there should be acknowledgement of FINStruct and/or Instruct-ERIC. Please acknowledge, use of the service, expertise and resources using the following texts in the Acknowledgements:

Service units operating both in FINStruct and Instruct-ERIC: CryoEM and Biocomplex (University of Helsinki), Biocenter Oulu unit (University of Oulu), and Biocenter Kuopio unit (University of Eastern Finland)
The facilities and expertise of the “RI facility name at the University of X”, a member of Instruct-ERIC Centre Finland, FINStruct, and Biocenter Finland are gratefully acknowledged.
Example: The facilities and expertise of the CryoEM facility at the University of Helsinki, a member of Instruct-ERIC Centre Finland, FINStruct, and Biocenter Finland are gratefully acknowledged.

SCoPE-MS unit in Instruct-ERIC 
The facilities and expertise of the SCoPE-MS at the University of Helsinki, a member of Instruct-ERIC Centre Finland are gratefully acknowledged.

For projects with Instruct-ERIC access funding: see guidelines

Service units operating in FINStruct: Protein crystallization facilities at the Universities of Helsinki and Turku, and Åbo Akademi University
The facilities and expertise of the “RI facility name at the University of X”, a member of FINStruct and Biocenter Finland are gratefully acknowledged.
Example: The facilities and expertise of the crystallization facility at the University of Helsinki, a member of FINStruct and Biocenter Finland are gratefully acknowledged.

Publications