Acquisition of an HPLC System for Undergraduate Research in Insect Chemical Defense

采购用于昆虫化学防御本科研究的 HPLC 系统

• 批准号: 0115600
• 负责人: Ann Yezerski
• 金额: $ 2.52万
• 依托单位: King's College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-09-01 至 2003-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0115600&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Acquisition; HPLC; System; Undergraduate; Research

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Yezerski at King's College to acquire an High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system with which to study the chemical defense system of the flour beetle, Tribolium confusum . Two immediate projects have been designed to address the questions of function and effect of the production of these defenses. One project will address the effect benzoquinone compounds have on conspecifics since these compounds are known to cause death to the beetles themselves. This experiment will correlate levels of chemical production in a series of recombinant inbred lines of beetles with levels of survival using representatives from the same lines. Using the HPLC equipment, a mean level of individual benzoquinone production within a line can be measured and these values compared to the results of standard LD50 tests for the lines when representatives are placed in an environment where no absorbent material protects them from their own excretions Current and future experiments using the HPLC will address correlations of the chemical defense trait with other behavioral and physical factors including body weight, cuticle color, and fecundity. Other planned research will measure the levels of benzoquinones in natural flour beetle populations in order to assess the evolutionary pressures conferred by natural environments. Such resulting information can not only help elucidate how a complex defense system arises evolutionarily but also help enlighten us on how this stored grain product pest can be better controlled. Additionally, the HPLC system has uses far beyond the measurement of beetle exudates. With only one other antiquated HPLC available for the entire college, the acquisition of this additional modern system will allow for other undergraduate research projects in both biology and chemistry that utilizes this highly utilized piece of equipment. By conducting meaningful research using modern equipment in which there is a demand for competent researchers, undergraduates at King's College can have the opportunity to be well prepared for whatever career goals they strive to reach whether these be in industry or further schooling.

国王学院的Yezerski博士获得了一笔资助，以获得高效液相色谱（HPLC）系统，用于研究面粉甲虫Tribolium confusum的化学防御系统。目前已经设计了两个项目来解决这些防御系统的功能和效果问题。其中一个项目将解决苯醌类化合物对同种甲虫的影响，因为已知这些化合物会导致甲虫本身死亡。这个实验将把一系列重组自交系甲虫的化学物质生产水平与来自同一系的代表的生存水平联系起来。使用高效液相色谱设备，可以测量一条生产线内单个苯醌生产的平均水平，并将这些值与生产线的标准LD50测试结果进行比较，当代表被放置在没有吸收材料保护他们免受自身排泄的环境中时，使用高效液相色谱的当前和未来实验将解决化学防御特性与其他行为和物理因素的相关性，包括体重、角质层颜色、和繁殖力。其他计划中的研究将测量天然面粉甲虫种群中苯醌的水平，以评估自然环境赋予的进化压力。由此产生的信息不仅可以帮助阐明复杂的防御系统是如何进化产生的，而且还有助于启发我们如何更好地控制这种储存粮食产品害虫。此外，高效液相色谱系统的用途远远超出了甲虫渗出物的测量。由于整个学院只有一台老式的高效液相色谱仪可用，获得这台额外的现代系统将允许使用这台高度利用的设备进行生物和化学方面的其他本科生研究项目。通过使用现代设备进行有意义的研究，有能力的研究人员的需求，国王学院的本科生可以有机会为他们努力达到的任何职业目标做好充分的准备，无论是在工业领域还是继续深造。