HeRacLeS brings together three platforms that have been nationally recognised for many years by the successive labels RIO then IBiSA: PRIMACEN (Cellular Imaging Research Platform of Normandy, 2001), PISSARO (Instrumental platform in Analytical Separation Science of Rouen, 2004) and SCAC (Joint Service for Behavioural Analysis, 2008). These platforms are unique in Normandy not only for their history and their IBiSA label, but also for the very complete spectrum of technologies and methodologies mastered in their respective thematic areas. HeRacLeS also brings together the animal facility of the Faculty of Science and Technology, also called the Biological Resources Service (created in the 80s) and the animal facility of the Faculty of Health (created in the 90s) which are constantly evolving thanks to recent premises and modifications of existing premises, to respond to the evolution of user demand.

HeRacLeS' originality lies in its offer of a continuum from the peptide synthesis to the analysis of behaviours and disorders in rodents, with the overall objective of better understanding pathologies and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. In addition, HeRacLeS makes it possible to study the expression, localisation and function of genes, proteins, peptides and other biomolecules both at a cellular and tissue scale, as well as at the organism level, and this, in pathophysiological conditions or in response to a molecule of interest.

On a large surface of more than 5,000 m2 distributed between the campuses of the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Health (less than 7 km apart), HeRacLeS is the technological cement between the laboratories of the Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (FED 4220, irib.univ-rouen.fr) and of the Chemistry-Biology-Health Centre (CBS, ComUE Normandie Université, normandie-univ.fr), thanks to the strategy of common resources adopted. HeRacLeS is also open to Norman, national, European and international academic laboratories and to private companies, in particular within the framework of the I2C Carnot Institute (i2c.normandie-univ.fr). Technological and methodological innovations (product, process and organisational innovations) are largely facilitated by regional financial support and relations with equipment suppliers.