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14. Sept. 2026
Scientific technologies are developing so rapidly that even experienced researchers cannot be familiar with every method they could use. Shared research infrastructures therefore provide access not only to advanced technologies, but above all to the expertise of the people who work with them. The Core Facility Day Life Sciences 2026 on 7 October will showcase the research infrastructures and other shared facilities available across selected faculties and institutes of Masaryk University.
Shared expert facilities do not have the same name everywhere. At CEITEC Masaryk University, they are called core facilities, while elsewhere terms such as technology platforms, facilities, units or research infrastructures are used. What they have in common is that technologies, services and specialist know-how are shared among multiple research teams.
Core facilities are often associated with expensive instruments. But according to Kateřina Hošková, Secretary for Research Infrastructures at CEITEC Masaryk University, their greatest value lies elsewhere. “Many institutions have managed to purchase expensive instruments through various grants. But very few know how to make the most of them. The greatest value of core facilities is clearly the expertise of their staff. It is not just about access to an instrument. Know-how, proper sample preparation and, ultimately, what we can learn from the data are just as important.”
Some shared facilities do not even need large instruments – their main expertise may lie in working with data. Methods and technologies are also developing rapidly, which means that research groups cannot be familiar with every available option or have all the technological resources they need in-house. “We need to find the right balance between what individual research groups build themselves and what makes sense to share with others,” says Ondřej Hradil, Head of the Research Infrastructures Department at the Masaryk University Rector’s Office.
According to Kateřina Hošková, it therefore makes sense to involve experts from shared infrastructures as early as the research planning stage. “You don’t need to know in advance exactly which technology you need. Experts at core facilities can help you find the right approach, design your experimental plan and then analyse the data,” she explains. This also applies to PhD candidates and early-career researchers: what matters is being able to describe the research question and the goal. A consultation may even reveal that the method originally considered is not the most suitable one.
Masaryk University Is Among the Pioneers of This Model
“Masaryk University is at the forefront of sharing scientific equipment, not only in the Czech Republic but also in Europe. CEITEC and RECETOX are among the pioneers of this approach and are also firmly embedded in European consortia,” says Ondřej Hradil. According to him, research infrastructures of various sizes operate at almost all faculties of the University. The new BioPharma Hub is now creating further opportunities, with units of the Preclinical Centre – a joint facility of the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Science – moving there, together with the Faculty of Pharmacy’s first core facility, focused on Good Manufacturing Practice for the production of medicinal products.
This year’s Core Facility Day Life Sciences 2026 aims to showcase the breadth of opportunities available across the University. Six parts of Masaryk University are involved in the programme: CEITEC, the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Sports Studies and Institute of Computer Science.
The Biggest Problem? Researchers Sometimes Don’t Know What Is Just Next Door
Despite the range of technologies and expertise available, core facilities face a surprisingly simple problem: potential users often do not know they exist. “A colleague from abroad says that core facilities have the gift of invisibility,” Kateřina Hošková says with a smile. “Unfortunately, sometimes even people who literally have them next door don’t know about them.” Promoting individual instruments is therefore not enough. What matters is showing researchers which research problems these facilities can help them solve.
Ondřej Hradil points to another barrier that goes beyond a lack of information. “Paradoxically, I feel that many researchers see research infrastructures as a waste of money and as competition for funding for their own research, even though they have never used their services themselves.”
A Website Shows You the Technology. A Conversation Can Show You the Solution
Core Facility Day is therefore not intended to be simply a showcase of available equipment. Visitors can explore the opportunities available across Masaryk University, tour selected laboratories, see user projects presented as posters and, most importantly, talk directly to experts.
According to Kateřina Hošková, there is no real substitute for meeting in person. “Of course, you can read about the technologies we offer on a website. But in a face-to-face conversation, you can ask questions in the language of your own research,” she explains. “Different scientific disciplines have their own terminology, and sometimes it is much easier to meet and simply say: This is my problem, this is what I need to find out – can you help me?”
The poster session will also give visitors the opportunity to speak directly to researchers who already use individual core facilities and ask about their experience. And the event can be useful even for someone who is not currently planning an experiment. “It is good to know what options are available. One of them might point you in a direction you had never considered before,” adds Kateřina Hošková.
Core Facilities Are Not Just for Masaryk University Researchers
Core Facility Day is an opportunity to discover what Masaryk University has to offer, but the services of the participating facilities are not limited to its own researchers. Users can come from other Czech or international research institutions, as well as from companies. “Sharing makes sense not only within a university, but also in the broader context of scientific collaboration,” Ondřej Hradil points out. Core Facility Day can therefore show researchers from other institutions which technologies and expertise they can access at Masaryk University and who they can discuss their research with.
Getting started does not have to be administratively complicated. The first step is to contact the relevant facility and describe the research project. If the project is technically feasible, the next steps are agreed – for example, user training, instrument booking or sending samples to the facility.
Services are charged, which needs to be taken into account particularly for more costly methods. According to Kateřina Hošková, however, this does not mean that advanced technologies are reserved for established researchers and large research groups. “For students and PhD candidates, support from their supervisor is of course important because the services come at a cost. But otherwise, I certainly wouldn’t be afraid to approach a facility. Quite the opposite. We try to set our pricing policy so that the services remain accessible.”
From a Service Facility to a Research Partner
The role of core facilities has changed in recent years. Their experts are increasingly involved in working with research data and in issues related to open science. They also connect academia with the commercial sector, and their role is shifting from providing individual measurements towards longer-term expert collaboration.
According to Kateřina Hošková, this change is clearly visible at CEITEC Masaryk University. “What makes me happiest is that our core facilities have established themselves as genuine centres of expertise. They are no longer seen merely as a service, and a career in a core facility is no longer regarded as second-rate.”
Shared Infrastructures as Part of Modern Science
According to Ondřej Hradil, the importance of shared infrastructures extends beyond individual institutions and universities. “Sharing makes sense not only within a university, but also in the broader context of scientific collaboration,” he says. Thanks to its long-term development of research infrastructures, Masaryk University is in a strong position in this respect – and Core Facility Day will showcase what these facilities can offer researchers from Masaryk University and other institutions alike.
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