Acquisition of a Protein Microsequenator

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The proposed instrumentation is-a state of the art protein sequencing system. A major advantage of the ABI 494 "Procise" instrument is its greatly increased sensitivity, allowing for reliable and extensive sequence assignments to be made on femtomole quantity samples. Additional advantages are the capability of running up to four samples, and operation of the instrument through an intuitive Macintosh interface, thus providing the potential for its use as a facile research and teaching tool. The instrument will facilitate the research objectives of faculty members in every department in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Agricultural Experiment Station at U. C. Riverside (see descriptions of faculty research programs below). The existing instrument at the UCR Biotechnology Instrumentation Facility was purchased 10 years ago, and is very difficult to maintain operational because of scarcity of spare parts and by the fact that the manufacturer no longer offers maintenance services. Investigators using the sequencer are engaged in a variety of research topic, including the characterization of protein kinases, ion channel toxins, developmental hormones, fertilization proteins, pathogenic bacterial proteins, polyamine transporters, and cytokines. A second motivation for acquisition of this instrument is the commitment on the part of College to provide a means of training students in current technologies of protein analysis. As recent events have illustrated, opportunities for appropriately trained personnel are becoming increasingly available in areas of medical technology, agriculture, and forensics. UCR has the opportunity to provide courses and outreach programs that would bring this technology to the student population. Students attending our institution deserve the best training possible, and this instrument will provide our graduates with access to current technology and a consequent advantage in their employment searches.