FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Welcome to our frequently asked questions! If you don't manage to find the answers you're looking for, please contact us.

How do I start a project?

Please set up a consult with us either directly here or send us an email to info@d-cyphr.org.za. We can then discuss specifics for your project and set up a defined scope of work with timelines and costings. If you are happy with these you can accept the project and deliver your samples to us.
What is the consultation for?

The free consultation helps us understand your requirements
What type of applications can the hub help me with?

Untargeted applications Clients may want to use the D-CYPHR hub to understand how changes in proteins or small molecules differ across conditions of interest. For example, why does one plant cope well under low water conditions vs another, or why does one group of people respond to a treatment better than others? The ability to take a broad view of what is underpinning these mechanisms can allow for researchers to generate hypotheses on what may or may not be causing these fundamental changes in behaviour in these instances Targeted applications Clients may be interested in particular analytes of interest and may want to use D-CYPHR to gain a better understanding of how these are changing in response to a treatment or over a relevant period.
What are the cost implications?

Costings will be based on the type of analysis you would require as well as the number of samples you will need to analyse. We will update our website soon with a table of indicative costs.
How long will it take to get my results?

This depends on the number of samples to analyse, the number of projects in the queue and any optimisation or R&D requirements. Our experiences have been that once we have received samples it will take approximately three months on average to generate data. This assumes there are no issues in terms of optimisation for the sample type, machines and other projects to run smoothly and that we receive payment in a timely manner.
Where is the D-CYPHR hub based?

It is situated at the Institute for Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM) on UCT Medical Campus, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925
What equipment does the D-CYPHR hub offer?

The D-CYPHR hub houses both array- and mass spectrometry-based equipment including, but not limited to, O-Link (Target 96, Target 48), Syngenics, and discovery or targeted (LFQ and labelled) LC-MS based workflows (Q-Exactive, 6600 and a variety of triple-quadrupole instruments). Many of our workflows have been transferred to our Hamilton Mass star liquid robotics platform to increase robustness, accuracy and throughput of sample preparation.