Aquisition of a Protein Fractionation System for Research and Education

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A grant has been awarded to the University of Denver under the direction of Dr. Phillip Danielson for partial support of the purchase of a Protein Fractionation System. The accurate fractionation, quantization, recovery and characterization of individual proteins from complex proteomes are capabilities that are increasingly essential to the growth and success of biological research and education. Until recently, the analysis of whole proteomes has been heavily dependent on 2-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis (2DGE)-based approaches. This approach required the laborious screening of hundreds to thousands of resolved "spots" on thin gels. The identification of even a small number of proteins of interest, can require weeks to months to complete. These more traditional methods have several critical shortcomings. 2DGE provides poor resolution of the small peptide hormones and larger membrane-associated proteins that are the focus of many of researchers programs. Furthermore, 2DGE yields results that are often difficult to quantify or reproduce. The Protein Fractionation System provides a cost-effective solution to the traditional limitations of 2DGE-based proteomic research. Test data from difficult samples have confirmed the performance and applicability of the system for our research needs. Specific research programs that will benefit immediately include NSF-funded studies of the posttranslational processing and modification of neuropeptide hormones involved in the management of reproductive stress and proteomic research aimed at elucidating the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms of mammalian feeding behavior. Other studies are examining the molecular neurobiology of mammalian taste cells, the recycling of neuroendocrine secretory vesicles and the degradation of misfolded proteins. Finally the Protein Fractionation system will advance collaborative research in molecular ecology and conservation biology conducted in collaboration with the Denver Botanical Gardens. Beyond the benefit to basic research at the University of Denver, a broad range of laboratory and classroom-oriented educational goals will be advanced at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Benefits will be particularly evident in the molecular-oriented laboratory courses that are at the heart of the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Molecular Biology. On a broader level, department-sponsored biotechnology classes offered to high school students and teacher-training workshops that promote hands-on science education at the secondary school level will also be greatly enhanced by providing first-hand experience in one of the most modern methods of proteomic analysis. The benefit to high school outreach efforts will be immeasurable given that these programs target students in urban and low-income school districts who have traditionally been underrepresented in the natural sciences. Most importantly, exposing pre-college students to modern technologies will have a significant and positive impact on student excitement about science as a career.