The Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) is dedicated to advancing core and research biotechnology laboratories through research, communication, and education. ABRF members include over 2000 scientists representing 340 different core laboratories in 41 countries, including those in industry, government, academic and research institutions.

History

In 1986 a Research Resource Facility Satellite Meeting was held in conjunction with the Sixth International Conference on Methods in Protein Sequence Analysis. The next year protein sequencing and amino acid samples were sent to survey 103 core facilities. By 1989 the ABRF was formally organized and incorporated. Each year an annual meeting was held as a satellite meeting of the Protein Society until 1996 when separate meetings began.

ABRF Research Groups

Research Groups are established to fulfill two of the purposes of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities. First, to provide mechanisms for the self-evaluation and improvement of procedural and operational accuracy, precision and efficiency in resource facilities and research laboratories. Second, to contribute to the education of resource facility and research laboratory staff, users, administrators, and interested members of the scientific community. The results of ABRF Research Group studies have been published in scientific papers. Results from ABRF Research Group studies have seen reuse in other research. * ABRF Next Generation Sequencing Group (ABRF-NGS) * Antibody Technology Research Group (ARG) * Biomedical 'Omics Research Group (BORG) *

DNA Sequencing DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The ...

Research Group (DSRG) *

Flow Cytometry Flow cytometry (FC) is a technique used to detect and measure the physical and chemical characteristics of a population of cells or particles. In this process, a sample containing cells or particles is suspended in a fluid and injected into the ...

Research Group (FCRG) *

Genomics Genomics is an interdisciplinary field of molecular biology focusing on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes. A genome is an organism's complete set of DNA, including all of its genes as well as its hierarchical, ...

Research Group (GVRG) *

Glycoprotein Glycoproteins are proteins which contain oligosaccharide (sugar) chains covalently attached to amino acid side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known a ...

Research Group (gPRG) * Light Microscopy Research Group (LMRG) *

Metabolomics Metabolomics is the scientific study of chemical processes involving metabolites, the small molecule substrates, intermediates, and products of cell metabolism. Specifically, metabolomics is the "systematic study of the unique chemical fingerpri ...

Research Group (MRG) *

Metagenomics Metagenomics is the study of all genetics, genetic material from all organisms in a particular environment, providing insights into their composition, diversity, and functional potential. Metagenomics has allowed researchers to profile the mic ...

Research Group (MGRG) * Molecular Interactions Research Group (MIRG) *

Nucleic Acid Nucleic acids are large biomolecules that are crucial in all cells and viruses. They are composed of nucleotides, which are the monomer components: a pentose, 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. The two main classes of nuclei ...

s Research Group (NARG) * Protein Expression Research Group (PERG) * Protein Sequencing Research Group (PSRG) *

Proteomics Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins. Proteins are vital macromolecules of all living organisms, with many functions such as the formation of structural fibers of muscle tissue, enzymatic digestion of food, or synthesis and replicatio ...

Research Group (PRG) * Proteome Informatics Research Group (iPRG) * Proteomics Standards Research Group (sPRG)

Resource Technologies

Members of ABRF are involved in a broad spectrum of biomolecular technologies that are implemented in core facility settings: * Automation: high throughput screening, LIMS,

robotics Robotics is the interdisciplinary study and practice of the design, construction, operation, and use of robots. Within mechanical engineering, robotics is the design and construction of the physical structures of robots, while in computer s ...

. * Protein/Peptide Chemistry: amino acid analysis, N- and C-terminal sequencing, peptide synthesis, peptide/protein arrays. *

Biophysics Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that applies approaches and methods traditionally used in physics to study biological phenomena. Biophysics covers all scales of biological organization, from molecular to organismic and populations ...

calorimetry In chemistry and thermodynamics, calorimetry () is the science or act of measuring changes in '' state variables'' of a body for the purpose of deriving the heat transfer associated with changes of its state due, for example, to chemical reac ...

, CD,

fluorescence Fluorescence is one of two kinds of photoluminescence, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, many substances will glow (fluoresce) with colore ...

light scattering In physics, scattering is a wide range of physical processes where moving particles or radiation of some form, such as light or sound, are forced to deviate from a straight trajectory by localized non-uniformities (including particles and radia ...

, SPR, ultracentrifugation. * Flow Cytometry Fluorescence Activating Cell Sorting * Protein Expression, Identification, and Profiling: differential fluorescence, conventional 2-D

gel electrophoresis Gel electrophoresis is an electrophoresis method for separation and analysis of biomacromolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins, etc.) and their fragments, based on their size and charge through a gel. It is used in clinical chemistry to separate ...

, disease biomarker discovery. *

Gene Expression Gene expression is the process (including its Regulation of gene expression, regulation) by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product that enables it to produce end products, proteins or non-coding RNA, ...

and Profiling: gene arrays, real-time PCR. *

Mass Spectrometry Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that is used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. The results are presented as a ''mass spectrum'', a plot of intensity as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. Mass spectrometry is used ...

: qualitative, quantitative, and structural analysis of proteins,

carbohydrates A carbohydrate () is a biomolecule composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms. The typical hydrogen-to-oxygen atomic ratio is 2:1, analogous to that of water, and is represented by the empirical formula (where ''m'' and ''n'' ma ...

, oligonucleotides, and

lipids Lipids are a broad group of organic compounds which include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins Vitamin A, A, Vitamin D, D, Vitamin E, E and Vitamin K, K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The fu ...

. *

Microscopy Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view subjects too small to be seen with the naked eye (objects that are not within the resolution range of the normal eye). There are three well-known branches of microscopy: optical mic ...

light microscopy and imaging,

Confocal Microscopy Confocal microscopy, most frequently confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) or laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), is an optical imaging technique for increasing optical resolution and contrast (vision), contrast of a micrograph by me ...

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

DNA sequencing DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The ...

, DNA synthesis, RNA synthesis, genotyping. * Separations: 1- and 2-D PAGE,

capillary electrophoresis Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a family of electrokinetic separation methods performed in submillimeter diameter capillaries and in micro- and nanofluidic channels. Very often, CE refers to capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), but other electr ...

chromatography In chemical analysis, chromatography is a laboratory technique for the Separation process, separation of a mixture into its components. The mixture is dissolved in a fluid solvent (gas or liquid) called the ''mobile phase'', which carries it ...

. *

Quality Control Quality control (QC) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements". This approach plac ...

: GLP, GMP, quality and compliance. * Universal Proteomics Standard (UPS), a mixture of proteins used as reference standard in proteomics, introduced by the above-mentioned sPRG. This includes two sets: the original (UPS1, where all 48 proteins are at 48 pmol), and a dynamic range of concentrations (called UPS2), ranging from 500 amol to 50 pmol. * Other:

bioinformatics Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field of science that develops methods and Bioinformatics software, software tools for understanding biological data, especially when the data sets are large and complex. Bioinformatics uses biology, ...

carbohydrate A carbohydrate () is a biomolecule composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms. The typical hydrogen-to-oxygen atomic ratio is 2:1, analogous to that of water, and is represented by the empirical formula (where ''m'' and ''n'' ...

analysis, differential display, recombinant protein production.

Annual Conference

Every year the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities annual conference is held during the spring in a varying North American city. This international conference is used to expose members to new and emerging biotechnology through lectures, roundtables, Research Group presentations, poster sessions, workshops and technical exhibits. * ABRF 2025, 23-28 March 2025, Las Vegas, NV * ABRF 2024, 21-24 April 2024,

Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

* ABRF 2023, 7-10 May 2023,

Boston, MA Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

* ABRF 2022, 27–30 March 2022, Palm Springs, CA * ABRF 2021, 7–11 March 2021, virtual meeting due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

* ABRF 2020, 29 February - 3 March 2020, Palm Springs, CA * ABRF 2019, 23–26 March,

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, Texas; 30 Years of Challenging the Limits of Science and Technology, Opening Doors for the Future * ABRF 2018, 22–25 April,

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as the "Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...

; The Premier Conference for Core Services * ABRF 2017, 25–28 March,

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, California; A Forum for Advancing Today's Core Technologies to Enable Tomorrow's Innovations * ABRF 2016, 20–23 February, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Innovative Technologies Accelerating Discovery * ABRF 2015, 28–31 March, St. Louis, Missouri; Integrative Technologies for Advancing Scientific Cores * ABRF 2014, 23–25 March,

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

, New Mexico; Team Science and Big Data: Cores at the Frontier * ABRF 2013, 2–5 March, Palm Springs, California; Tools for the Advancement of Convergence Science * ABRF 2012, 17–20 March, Orlando, Florida; Learning From Biomolecules * ABRF 2011, 19–22 February, San Antonio, Texas; Technologies to Enable Personalized Medicine * ABRF 2010, 20–23 March, Sacramento, California; Translating Basic Research With Advances in Biomolecular Technology * ABRF 2009, 7–10 February, Memphis, Tennessee; Application and Optimization of Existing and Emerging Biotechnologies * ABRF 2008, 9–12 February, Salt Lake City, Utah; Enabling Technologies in the Life Sciences * ABRF 2007, 31 March- 3 April, Tampa, Florida; Creating the Biological Roadmap * ABRF 2006, 11–14 February, Long Beach, California; Integrating Science, Tools and Technologies with Systems Biology * ABRF 2005, 5–8 February, Savannah, Georgia; BioMolecular Technologies: Discovery to Hypothesis * ABRF 2004, 28 February- 2 March, Portland, Oregon; Integrating Technologies in Proteomics and Genomics * ABRF 2003, 10–13 February, Denver, Colorado; Translating Biology Using Proteomics and Functional Genomics * ABRF 2002, 9–12 March, Austin, Texas; Biomolecular Technologies: Tools for Discovery in Proteomics and Genomics * ABRF 2001, 24–27 February, San Diego, CA; The New Biology: Technology for resolving Macromolecular Communications * ABRF 2000, 19–22 February, Bellevue, Washington; From Singular to Global Analyses of Biological Systems * ABRF 1999, 19–22 March, Durham, North Carolina; Bioinformatics and Biomolecular Technologies: Linking Genomes, Proteomes and Biochemistry * ABRF 1998, 21–24 March, San Diego, California; From Genomes to Function - Technical Challenges of the Post-Genome Era * ABRF 1997, 9–12 February, Baltimore, Maryland; Techniques at the Genome-Proteome Interface * ABRF 1996, 30 March- 2 April, San Francisco, California; Biomolecular Techniques

ABRF Award

The ABRF Award is presented at the annual ABRF meeting for outstanding contributions to Biomolecular Technologies. Past Award Winners (the years refer to the annual conference at which the award was presented): *2023 Christie G. Enke and Richard Yost for their development of the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and the tremendous impact triple quads have made for a wide range of biomedical research applications. *2022 Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz *2021 - *2020 George Church for his groundbreaking research in genomic sequencing and his leadership in the fields of gene therapy and synthetic biology technologies. *2019 Richard M. Caprioli for the discovery of temporal and spatial processing in biological systems using mass spectrometry. *2018

Amos Bairoch Amos Bairoch (born 22 November 1957) is a Swiss bioinformatician and Professor of Bioinformatics at the Department of Human Protein Sciences of the University of Geneva where he leads the CALIPHO group at the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ...

for the development of community resources such as UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot knowledgebase, PROSITE, ENZYME, and neXtProt. *2017 Sir Shankar Balasubramanian and David Klenerman for the invention of a method of next-generation DNA sequencing which is commonly known today as "sequencing by synthesis". *2016

Emmanuelle Charpentier Emmanuelle Marie Charpentier (; born 11 December 1968) is a French professor and researcher in microbiology, genetics, and biochemistry. As of 2015, she has been a director at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin. In 2018, sh ...

and

Jennifer Doudna Jennifer Anne Doudna (; born February 19, 1964) is an American biochemist who has pioneered work in CRISPR gene editing, and made other fundamental contributions in biochemistry and genetics. She received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, wit ...

for the development of CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing Technologies. *2015 John G. White and William Bradshaw Amos for the development of high-resolution, laser scanning confocal microscope *2014 Patrick H. O'Farrell, for the development of 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. *2013 Leonard Herzenberg and Leonore Herzenberg for the development of Flow Activated Cell Sorting (FACS). *2012 Alan G. Marshall for the development of Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FT-ICR) Mass Spectrometry. *2011 Sir Alec John Jeffreys: Developed techniques for

DNA fingerprinting DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting and genetic fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is cal ...

and

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

profiling *2010 Pat Brown: Pioneering work in the development of microarrays, and the diverse applications of this technology in genetic research. *2009 Mathias Uhlén *2008 Ruedi Aebersold *2007 Donald F. Hunt *2006 Roger Tsien *2005 Stephen Fodor *2004 Edwin Southern *2003 Franz Hillenkamp and Michael Karas *2002 John Fenn *2001 Csaba Horvath *2000 Leroy Hood *1999 Marvin H. Caruthers for pioneering contributions to the chemical synthesis of DNA and RNA *1998 Bruce Merrifield *1997 Lloyd M. Smith *1996

David Lipman David J. Lipman is an American biologist who from 1989 to 2017 was the director of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Institutes of Health. NCBI is the home of GenBank, the U.S. node of the INSDC, Internationa ...

*1995 Klaus Biemann *1994

Frederick Sanger Frederick Sanger (; 13 August 1918 – 19 November 2013) was a British biochemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry twice. He won the 1958 Chemistry Prize for determining the amino acid sequence of insulin and numerous other prote ...

Journal of Biomolecular Techniques

The ABRF is the publisher of the Journal of Biomolecular Techniques. The journal is

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

and is published quarterly. The major focus of the journal is to publish scientific reviews and articles related to biomolecular resource facilities. The Research Group published reports include annual surveys. News and events, as well as an article watch focused on techniques used in typical core facility environments are also included. The current Editor-in-Chief is Ron Orlando,

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

ABRF Executive Board

* Kevin Knudtson, ABRF President, Genomics Division, University of Iowa * Justine Kigenyi, Treasurer, KU Medical Center * Marie Adams, Van Andel Institute * Roxann Ashworth, Johns Hopkins University * Kym Delventhal, Stowers Institute for Medical Research * Sridar Chittur, SUNY Albany * Nick Ambulos,

University of Maryland School of Medicine The University of Maryland School of Medicine (abbreviated UMSOM), located in Baltimore City, Maryland, U.S., is the medical school of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and is affiliated with the University of Maryland Medical Center and ...

* Sue Weintraub, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio * Magnus Palmblad, Leiden University Medical Center * Ken Schoppmann, ABRF Executive Director

References

External links

Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities ABRFFederation of American Societies for Experimental Biology FASEBABRF Discussion ForumJournal of Biomolecular TechniquesABRF at LinkedInLeadership
{{authority control Scientific societies based in the United States Biotechnology organizations Professional associations based in the United States