Facilities and Services

The University of Helsinki Radiochemistry Unit is home to expert research and technical staff, modern radiochemistry laboratories (supervised and controlled), normal wet chemistry laboratories, an organic chemistry laboratory, sample preperation facilties, a wide range of analytical equipment, and a cyclotron.

If you are interested in accessing our facilities for collaborative research purposes, or you would like to engage us in consultancy / service work, please contact us. Projects will be tailored to fit your specific needs and executed by our skilled staff. Service /consultancy projects are charged on a case by case basis.

The Radiochemistry Unit TRIM group also offer services involving PET and SPECT radiotracers to academic and industrial customers through participation in the Helsinki In Vivo Animal Imaging Platform (HAIP) at the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE). Services include but are not limited to: custom radiosynthesis development; radiotracer production; in vitro and in vivo biological evaluation; and autoradiography. A more detailed description of these services and user fees can be found here. More information can also be provided by Prof. Anu Airaksinen.

The Radiochemistry Unit's facilities / analytical equipment includes:

Sample handling and isotope production

  • Radioactive sample import and storage facilities.
  • Class B laboratories.
  • Lead lined hot cells.
  • IBA Cyclone 10/5 medical cyclotron.
  • Controlled atomsphere gloveboxs.
  • Sample resin embedding, cutting (incl. cryo-microtome), grinding, and polishing equipment.

Radiometrics

  • Germanium and NaI gamma spectrometers; alpha spectrometers; liquid scintillation counters (including low-level alpha/beta discrimination); whole body counter.
  • Digital autoradiography (FLA); Electronic autoradiography (BeaverTM).

Other analytical techniques

  • UV/VIS and UV/VIS/NIR; zetaSizer; GC-MS; HPLC-ICP-MS; LA-ICP-MS; MP-AES; ICP-AES; electromigration; XRD.
  • He gas diffusion and permeability; Ar gas pycnometer; FE-SEM/EDAX; FIB-SEM/EDAX; optical microscopy.