The Gandhigram Rural Institute - Deemed to be University

Central Instrumentation Centre

Central Instrumental Centre

Superiority in teaching and research by the researchersneeds state-of-the-art sophisticated equipment’s, supportive training, advanced software systems and other support facilities. These equipment’s facilities to help the faculty, research scholars and students to carry out internationalstandards Research and Development in basic and applied sciences. Since individual researchers may not be able to generate huge research funds for the research instruments, the Central Instrumentation Centre (CIF) was started in GRI with a mission to enrich the resources on a shared basis for promoting R and D with the following objectives.

To strengthen technological infrastructure to carry out advanced research in various science disciplines under one roof and make their services available to all departments.
To guide the acquisition of data and train personnel in the operation and maintenance of Sophisticated Instruments.
To organize short-term training/workshops on the use and application of various spectroscopic and analytical techniques for benefiting students, teachers and technical personnel.

Under the School of Sciences, the following departments have a Central Instrumentation facility for enriching the research among students in and around GRI.

Sl.No	Name of the Department providing facility	Details of Instrumentation facility
1	Chemistry	Scanning electron microscope (SEM) Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) Spectrometer Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) Thermogravimetry Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA/DTA) UV-Visspectrophotometer Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)
2	Physics	X-ray diffraction (XRD)
3	Biology	Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) UV-Visspectrophotometer Biofermenter Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) reader Gas chromatography (GC) High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) Microbial culture storage facility
4	Seaweed Project Lab	UV-Vis spectroscopy Bio-fermentation facility Sprayer

Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
SEM is widely used to study the size and morphology of various objects. SEM is based on a focused beam of electrons that scan the sample, which interacts with the atoms in the sample to provide three-dimensional surface topography. This facility is provided with prior registration (by the request form available on the GRI website) and advance payment. Appointment will be given as per queue and the allotted time for the slot will be informed through E-mail

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) Spectrometer
The NMR facility centre was established with 400 MHz FT-NMR spectrometer which has 5 mm BBO probe for solution studies. This facility can be utilized by both academic as well as industrial researchers. To extend the service of NMR to biological researchers, Bruker Ascend 500MHz FT-NMR spectrometer with 5 mm BBI probe for solution studies was gifted by IISc, Bangalore in 2023. Annually, the NMR facility centre receives nearly 4000 samples from academic and industrial researchers. This facility is provided with prior registration (by the request form available on the GRI website) and advance payment. Appointments will be given as per queue and the allotted time for the slot will be informed through E-mail. Apart from this, workshops on Hands-on Training in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance will also be conducted to academic and industrial researchers

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)
LC-MS spectrometer facility was supported by UGC-SAP which provides advanced analytical capabilities for identifying, characterizing and quantifying low as well as high molecular weight compounds and biomolecules. This facility mainly supports researchers in the fields of chemistry and biology. This facility is provided with prior registration (by the request form available on the GRI website) and advance payment. Appointments will be given as per queue and the allotted time for the slot will be informed through E-mail.

TGA/DTA Facility
TGA/DTA facility was created by due support fromthe grant for the research and development of the departments. It strengthens the research activities of both inter- and intra-departments of the institute. As well the facility is providedtoother universities, institutes and colleges. This facility is provided with prior registration (by the request form available on the GRI website) and advance payment. Appointments will be given as per queue and the allotted time for the slot will be informed through E-mail.

UV-Vis spectrophotometer
This facility has been providedby a few of the departments of GRI for more than two decades. This basic research facility is provided asan intra-departmental serviceto scholars as well as post-graduate students as free of cost. Thisservice is also provided to students and scholars of otherUniversities, institutes and collegesat minimal charge with prior request.

Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy
FT-IR spectrophotometer is an essential characterization tool to study the vibrational frequencies of chemical bonds.Capable of studying vibrational spectroscopy of solid and liquid samples in the wavenumber range of 7800 - 350 cm-1 at 0.2 cm-1 resolution.This service is also provided to students and scholars of other Universities, institutes and collegesat minimal charge.

Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)
Atomic absorption spectrophotometer analyzes the concentration of elements in a liquid sample based on energy absorbed on wavelengths of light (190 to 900 nm). It includes a flame burner to atomize the sample, a monochromator, and a photon detector. It is used in environmental testing, metal analysis, semiconductor manufacturing, petroleum and chemical production, and in pharmaceuticals. This facility is used to detect Hg, Pb, As, Mn, Mg, Cu, Cd, Cr, Fe, Ni and Zn. This service is also provided to students and scholars of GRI, other Universities, institutes and collegesat minimal charge with prior request.

X-Ray Diffractometer
X-ray crystallography is a technique used for determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline atoms cause a beam of incident X-rays to diffract into many specific directions. This instrumentis housed at the Department of Physics and caters for the needs of GRI researchersand scholars of other Universities, institutes and collegesat minimal charge.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are a reliable and accurate way to diagnose certain infectious diseases, some types of cancer, and certain genetic changes. The tests check small amounts of genetic material of a pathogen or abnormal cells in a sample of your blood, saliva, mucus, or tissue. The genetic material could be DNA, which contains the genetic information needed for a person and most other living things to develop and grow. Many types of RNA help your cells make proteins. Some viruses use RNA instead of DNA to carry their genetic information.This service is also provided to students and scholars of GRI, other Universities, institutes and collegesat a nominal charge with earlier request.

Biofermenter
This fermentation facility is established to develop fermented products from lab scale to pilot scale including recent micro-processor controlled fermenters (100L capacity) and matching downstream processing faculties for bacterial, fungal and yeast-based products. The facility is available for medium-scale production of fermented products and high-value microbial products from wild-type and genetically modified strains. This service is provided to students and scholars of GRI, other Universities, institutes and collegesat a nominal charge with earlier request.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) reader
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) have been around as one of the primary methods of analyte detection for decades. As the workhorse experiment of any drug development research, high-quality and reliable ELISA data is critical for scientific understanding and further investigations. GRI provide a comprehensive ELISA bioassay method development service, including method development, validation, transfer, and kit development, according to each of your needs to help you accelerate the drug development process. This service is provided to the scholars of GRI, other Universities, institutes and collegesat a nominal charge with earlier request.

Gas chromatography (GC)
Gas chromatography (GC) is used for separating and analyzing compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition. The testing of the purity of a particular substance, or separating the different components of a mixture can be possible.This service is provided to the scholars of GRI, other Universities, institutes and collegesat a nominal charge with earlier request.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
The High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) is used for precise measurement of the concentrations of individual compounds in a mixture. It is equipped with UV and RI detectors. The principle involved in HPLC testing is the separation of compounds in a mixture. Segregation of compounds is due to their relative differences in travel through the column on the application of pressure exerted through the mobile phase or carrying liquid. This service is provided to the scholars of GRI, other Universities, institutes and collegesat a nominal charge with earlier request.