Research in biological sciences requires an increasing compliment of tools. Individual researchers can no longer be expert in all the protocols necessary to be productive in their field. Advances in analytical and synthetic biochemistry including improved chemistry, instrumentation, and automation have caused a change in the way scientific laboratories operate. Most research laboratories cannot afford the instrumentation and training necessary for many of the techniques required for the performance of their experiments. Similarly, laboratories usually cannot afford to collaborate with all the scientists desiring access to a complex methodology they have available. For these reasons, many institutions have established centralized laboratories, or core facilities, to provide the instrumentation and expertise for micro-analytical and synthetic chemistries. As early as 1985, issues and problems of operating a shared laboratory were recognized. To meet common needs, the first meeting of core facility staff, then called "Research Resource Facility Group", was organized in 1986. The number of meetings, members, and interactions has continued to grow. Milestones include receiving a research grant in 1988, incorporation of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) in 1989, publication of a newsletter in 1990, and formation of research committees to the current number of seven. The first ten years included many joint meetings. The second ten years begin with the addition of an independent ABRF meeting in 1996.
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