Acquisition of Equipment for Study of Macromolecular Interactions

本提案的目的是建立一个核心设施，为蛋白质-蛋白质和蛋白质-核酸相互作用的最新研究提供必要的仪器。该设施将支持埃默里学院生物系和埃默里大学医学院微生物学和免疫学系教师的研究项目。这两个部门位于罗林斯研究中心的连续楼层，这是一座不到五年的现代化建筑。研究工作构成本提案基础的教师包括R. Ahmed （Micro.）、J. Boss （Micro.）、G. Churchward （Micro.）、R. Compans （Micro.）、G. Crouse （Biol.）、D. Falls （Biol.）、H. Ellis （Biol.）、A. Glasgow （Micro.）、S. L'Hernault （Biol.）、G. Jones （Biol.）、J. Lucchesi （Biol.）、S. Jinks-Robertson （Biol.）、C. Moran （Micro.）和K . Ziegler （Micro.）。这些教师之间已经有了广泛的互动，因为他们是遗传学和微生物学跨部门研究生项目的成员，并且有共同的研究兴趣和教学职责。核心设施将包括一个Biacore 2000生物分子相互作用分析系统，一个Beckton Dickinson FACSCalibur流式细胞仪和细胞分选系统，2个具有放射自显影和荧光检测能力的Molecular Dynamics Storm磷光成像仪，一个ABI Prism自动DNA测序仪和一个Pharmacia ALF Express自动DNA测序仪。这台设备将允许这群资金充足的研究人员对许多基本生物过程中发生的大分子相互作用进行最先进的研究。这些过程包括DNA复制、重组和修复、转录和基因表达的调节、多细胞生物的发育和免疫系统的基本功能。正在研究的相互作用类型包括细胞表面受体蛋白与其配体之间的相互作用，发生在复杂蛋白质机器（如RNA聚合酶全酶）组装中的蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用，这些蛋白质机器与它们的调节蛋白之间的相互作用，以及重组和修复酶、核酸聚合酶和调节蛋白与其核酸底物的结合。本提案所包括的调查人员目前本年度的直接费用为1 899 888美元，其中170 457美元来自国家科学基金会。这些数字只包括基础研究经费，不包括面向疾病的研究经费。此应用程序的目标与NSF的目标相匹配，如下所示。本申请中提出的一些设备项目目前在校园内没有，将允许开发全新的实验方法。由于埃默里大学研究活动的扩大，获得其他现有设备项目变得越来越困难。因此，拟议的设施将改善现代研究仪器的使用和更好地利用。本提案中列出的所有研究人员都训练研究生和本科生。他们一起在实验室里管理着12名博士后、31名研究生和20名本科生，因此这些仪器将用于培养未来的科学家。此建议将获得相应的资金（50%）。

The aim of this proposal is to establish a core facility which will provide the necessary instrumentation for state of the art study of protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions. This facility will support the research programs of faculty in the Department of Biology of Emory College, and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology of the School of Medicine of Emory University. These two Departments are located on successive floors of the Rollins Research Center, a modern building less than five years old. Faculty whose research efforts form the basis of this proposal include R. Ahmed (Micro.), J. Boss (Micro.), G. Churchward (Micro.), R. Compans (Micro.), G. Crouse (Biol.), D. Falls (Biol.), H. Ellis (Biol.), A. Glasgow (Micro.), S. L'Hernault (Biol.), G. Jones (Biol.), J. Lucchesi (Biol.), S. Jinks-Robertson (Biol.), C. Moran (Micro.) and K Ziegler (Micro.). There are already extensive interactions between these faculty members because they are members of the interdepartmental graduate programs in Genetics and Microbiology, and share common research interests and teaching duties. The core facility will consist of a Biacore 2000 biomolecular interaction analysis system, a Beckton Dickinson FACSCalibur flow cytometer and cell sorting system, 2 Molecular Dynamics Storm phosphorimagers with autoradiography and fluorescent detection capabilities, an ABI Prism automated DNA sequencer and a Pharmacia ALF Express automated DNA sequencer. This equipment will allow this varied group of well funded investigators to perform state of the art studies of macromolecular interactions that occur in many fundamental biological processes. These processes include DNA replication, recombination and repair, transcription and the regulation of gene expression, the development of multicellular organisms and the basic functioning of the immune system. The types of interactions that are being studied include the interactions between cell surface receptor proteins and their ligands, protein-protein interactions that occur in the assembly of complex protein machines such as RNA polymerase holoenzymes, the interactions between these protein machines and their regulatory proteins, and the binding of recombination and repair enzymes, nucleic acid polymerases and regulatory proteins with their nucleic acid substrates. The investigators included in this proposal currently have $1,899,888 in direct costs for the current year, of which $170,457 is from NSF. These figures include only funding for basic research and do not include funding for disease-oriented research. The goal of this application matches NSF goals as follows. Some of the items of equipment proposed in this application are not currently available on campus and will allow the development of completely new experimental approaches. Access to other existing items of equipment is becoming increasingly difficult because of the expansion of research activities at Emory University. The proposed facility will therefore improve accessibility to and greater utilization of modem research instrumentation. All of the investigators listed in this proposal train graduate and undergraduate students. Together, they supervise in their laboratories 12 postdoctoral fellows, 31graduate students and 20 undergraduate students and so the instrumentation will be used in the training of future scientists. Matching funds (50%) for this proposal will be available.