How You've Helped
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have been able to buy some very important pieces of research equipment for our 
labs. These include several types of centrifuges and a high-tech analysis system to measure the types of fats in patients’ blood.
A centrifuge is a very important piece of laboratory equipment used by almost all research groups at the HRI. Its primary function is to separate out ‘good cholesterol’ (also known as HDL), which we study to learn how it protects against cardiovascular disease. Centrifuges were used in the following HRI discoveries:
- Injections of HDL can stop atherosclerotic plaques breaking away from the arteries and potentially causing clots or strokes.
- Smoking in pregnancy affects the heart health of children a long into their life.
- HDL increases the production of insulin from the pancreas in diabetes.
- HDL suppresses inflammation, an initiating process in heart disease.
EQUIPMENT PURCHASED
1. Ultracentrifuges
Biosafe Optima L100XN Ultracentifuges x 2 £ 82,300
2. Allegra X15R Centrifuge £ 6,600
3. Elutriantion Centrifuge £ 39,000
4. 70ti Rotor inside Centrifuge £10,766
5. SW 41ti Rotor £10,766
6. The AU480 Chemistry System £46,000
This system allows scientists to analyse specific components of HDL (good cholesterol) to help determine which ones are most beneficial in the protection against heart disease. This machine can also precisely measure the levels of good and bad fats in blood, so scientists can determine how diet, exercise or pharmaceutical interventions are beneficial to heart health.
The greatest benefit of the AU480 is its high volume, meaning scientists can conduct hundreds of analyses in one day.
