Improvement of Recombinant DNA Research Facilities

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The Research Improvement in Minority Institutions (RIMI) program was designed to increase the participation of minorities in scientific and engineering research. The program provides support to strengthen the research environment and capabilities of institutions that have substantial minority student enrollments. Eligible institutions must also have graduate programs in science or programs in engineering. The principal investigators at the University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras) will use RIMI support to purchase equipment to upgrade facilities for recombinant DNA technology within the Department of Biology. Small equipment will be provided for equipping individual laboratories while major equipment items will be designated for shared access. These latter acquisitions will result in upgrading self contained facilities which include a dark room, a four-degree centigrade cold room and units employed for DNA sequencing radio immunoassey and chromatography. This support will facilitate ongoing studies in which recombinant DNA methodologies such as the preparation of gene librarea, cloning, hybridization techniques and DNA sequencing are being employed to study mechanisms of gene expression in a wide range of species, including spiders, sea urchins, lizards, birds, yeast and protozoa. These studies address such fundamental problems as the identification and characterization of regulatory genes, the role of small RNA molecules in their interaction with regulatory genes and the role of the DNA in the decoding process. The survival potential of genetically engineered bacteria is yet the subject of another study. This project will clearly meet the objectives of the RIMI program in several ways. It will significantly strengthen the scientific research infrastructure, provide an opportunity for an isolated population of minority students to become well-educated in modern biotechnology and serve to promote cooperative research projects with other institutions including industrial and government laboratories. The principal investigator is an experienced and active minority researcher. She has excellent qualifications for overseeing the development and management of these new facilities as well as to guide and assist young investigators in the application of this technology to their own research. This RIMI project will encourage more minority students to consider research careers in science and engineering.