Request for a Multi-user Automated DNA sequencing machine

这是一项小组提议，目的是购置一台自动DNA测序仪，供海洋生物实验室和伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的调查人员共用。拟购买的设备包括一台DNA测序仪和一台用于分析测序仪产生的数据的辅助工作站。 比较分子生物学将进化、生态学、地理学和生物多样性的研究转变为实验科学。利用核糖体RNA的相似性度量，微生物学家可以测量同一物种成员之间的遗传差异，或者重建跨越最大进化距离的生物体的遗传学。线粒体基因序列为微生物和多细胞系统的细胞遗传学研究提供了定量的遗传学工具。随着聚合酶链反应技术的出现，几乎任何基因家族都可以纳入生物多样性调查。对于这些企业中的任何一个来说，在财政和人力资源方面的主要费用是确定DNA序列所需的费用。分子进化方案、海洋生物实验室生态系统中心和伍兹霍尔海洋研究所生物系的许多研究项目都依赖于对核糖体RNA序列、线粒体基因或其他核编码区的比较分析。 尽管有很好的计算设施来整合这些研究的结果，但在伍兹霍尔科学界没有自动化设备来测序DNA。如果海洋生物实验室和伍兹霍尔海洋学研究所的实验室要在分子进化/系统学、分子生态学和生物多样性新兴方案的研究中保持竞争力，它们就必须能够获得快速、自动化DNA序列测定的共用仪器。主要的好处是大大减少了DNA所需的人力资源 序列分析此外，这一多用户工具将进一步鼓励对分子生态学、生物多样性和分子系统学/进化的研究采取跨学科方法。 在本申请中所代表的五个实验室将形成一个联合体，以对来自原核生物和真核生物的核糖体RNA进行测序。其研究目标包括分子系统学、分子生态学、生物多样性和植物地理学。通过这种仪器的共同管理和使用，将有可能共享许多昂贵的试剂，包括用于对来自原核生物和真核生物的rRNA编码区进行快速测序的引物库。其他小组将使用该机器来研究编码区域的结构和功能限制，如细胞色素P450，肌动蛋白和受体。这些项目中的大多数代表了伍兹霍尔科学界现有的合作。自动测序仪也将提供给伍兹霍尔科学界的访问科学家，包括海洋生物实验室和伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的夏季调查人员。

This is a group proposal to acquire an automated DNA sequencing machine for shared use by investigators at the Marine Biological Laboratory and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The equipment to be purchased includes a DNA sequencing machine and an auxiliary workstation for analyzing data produced by the sequencing machine. Comparative molecular biology has transformed studies of evolution, ecology, biogeography and biodiversity into experimental sciences. Using measures of similarity for ribosomal RNAs, microbiologists can measure genetic differences between members of the same species or reconstruct phylogenies for organisms that span the largest evolutionary distances. Mitochondrial gene sequences provide quantitative genetic tools for biogeography studies in both microbial and multicellular systems. With the advent of polymerase chain reaction techniques, almost any gene family can be incorporated into biodiversity investigations. For any one of these enterprises, the major expense in terms of financial and human resources is that required to determine DNA sequences. Numerous research projects in the Molecular Evolution Program, the Ecosystems Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory and the Biology Department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution rely upon comparative analyses of ribosomal RNA sequences, mitochondrial genes or other nuclear coding regions. Despite excellent computational facilities for integrating results of these studies, no automated equipment is available for sequencing DNA in the Woods Hole Scientific Community. If laboratories at the Marine Biological Laboratory and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are to remain competitive in studies of molecular evolution/systematics, molecular ecology and emerging programs in biodiversity, they must have access to shared instrumentation for rapid, automated DNA sequence determinations. The principal benefit will be a dramatic reduction in human resources required for DNA sequence analyses. In addition, this multi-user instrument will further encourage interdisciplinary approaches to studies of molecular ecology, biodiversity and molecular systematics/evolution. Five of the laboratory's represented in this application will form a consortium to sequence ribosomal RNAs from prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Their research objectives include studies of molecular systematics, molecular ecology, biodiversity, and biogeography. Through the common administration and use of this instrumentation, it will be possible to share many costly reagents including a library of primers for rapidly sequencing rRNA coding regions from both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Other groups will use the machine to study structure and functional constraints in coding regions such as cytochrome P450, actins, and receptors. Most of these projects represent existing collaborations within the Woods Hole Scientific Community. The automated sequencer will also be available to visiting scientists in the Woods Hole Scientific Community including summer investigators at the Marine Biological Laboratory and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.