Instrumentation for Enhancing Undergraduate Genetics, Immunology and Microbiology Laboratories and Student Research

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The curriculum in biology is being enhanced through the acquisition of an ultracentrifuge and kinetic microplate reader. The equipment is being used in the Genetics, Immunology and Microbiology courses to introduce new exercises which employ modern techniques and principles of critical thinking. The equipment increases the variety of projects students may undertake in the Methods in Research course and in undergraduate student research projects. The ultracentrifuge enables students to purify plasmic DNA for restriction endonuclease double digestion mapping and gene cloning, and to purify prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomic DNA and RNA for Southern and Northern blot analyses with non-radioactive labeled probes. The kinetic microplate reader is used by students for performing the ELISA immunoassay, for cell proliferation studies using the MTT assay, for monoclonal antibody analyses, for the Lowry protein assay and for the screning of sera and cultured supernatants for the presence of antibody following immunological in vivo or in vitro stimulation procedures, respectively. The equipment improves the biology program being offered to students majoring in biology or allied health, many of whom are women. The college will contribute an amount equal to the award.