Acquisition of Laboratory Equipment for Research in Biological Anthropology

在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，宾夕法尼亚州立大学将购买一台DNA合成器、自动DNA测序仪、凝胶记录系统和生物显微镜，用于分子和发育遗传学的研究。仪器将被安置在生物人类学实验室（BAL），它在人类学遗传学方面起着主导作用。然而，自1986-87年实验室成立以来，测序仪器发生了巨大变化，需要新的系统来允许BAL进行有效的研究。新的仪器将使实验室能够在更大的范围内解决问题，无论是在处理的样品数量方面还是在每个样品获得的信息量方面。BAL的许多项目需要大量的样本；例如，该机构最近收到了价值连天的12000多份南美印第安人血液样本。BAL侧重于具有人类学意义的分子遗传学问题。它研究了具有进化意义的表型的进化，例如，美洲印第安人对糖尿病和肥胖症易感性的遗传基础，对结核病的遗传易感性的进化，以及个体之间嗅觉变异的遗传。该实验室还试图重建进化史的各个方面。例如，目前它正在通过分析亚洲和太平洋人口的分子遗传变异模式来调查南太平洋的殖民化。BAL还非常重视对各级学生的培训，所提供的仪器不仅有助于保持研究小组的高研究水平，而且还为学生提供必要的培训和设施，以确保研究生和研究生的职业生涯富有成效。

Weiss With support from the National Science Foundation, Pennsylvania State University will purchase a DNA synthesizer, automated DNA sequencer, gel documentation system and biological microscope for work on molecular and developmental genetics. The Biological Anthropological Laboratory (BAL) where the instrumentation will be housed, plays a leading role in anthropological genetics. However since the laboratory was established in 1986-87, sequencing instrumentation has changed enormously and new systems are necessary to permit the BAL to conduct effective research. New instrumentation will allow the laboratory to address questions on a much larger scale, both in terms of the numbers of samples processed and the amount of information obtained per sample. Many of the BAL's projects require large sample sizes; the facility recently received for example a priceless collection of over 12,000 South American Indian blood samples. The BAL focusses on molecular genetic questions which are of anthropological significance. It examines the evolution of evolutionary-interesting phenotypes including, for example, the genetic basis of susceptibility to diabetes and obesity in Amerindians, the evolution of genetic susceptibility to tuberculosis and the genetics of variation in olfaction among individuals. The laboratory also attempts to reconstruct various aspects of evolutionary history. Currently, for example it is investigating the colonization of the South Pacific through the analysis of patterns of molecular genetic variation in Asian and Pacific populations. The BAL also places strong emphasis on the training of students at all levels and the instrumentation provided will not only help to maintain the high research standards of the research group, but also provide students with the training and facilities necessary to ensure productive graduate and post-graduate careers.