Acquistion of Instrumentation for a DNA Sequencing and Analysis Core Facility

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A grant has been awarded to Saint Cloud State University under the direction of Dr. Christopher Kvaal to develop an Automated DNA Sequencing and Analysis Facility. The ability to sequence DNA is now a necessary skill for wide areas of biological study, from phylogeny to water quality to genetics/genomics to medicine. In order to train the next generation of scientists in these diverse fields, the capacity to perform DNA sequencing reactions in the classroom and research lab is needed. The funding from this proposal will enable the purchase of a DNA Analysis System, a 96 well thermocycler, and multiple computer workstations for analysis of DNA sequence data.The instrumentation acquired with this grant will enable eight diverse research projects at Saint Cloud State University to make continued progress. These projects include plant and diatom systematics, immunology, cell and developmental biology, and endocrine physiology. In the case of each of the research projects, DNA sequence data is a critical component of the experimental strategy for answering vital questions in these fields. In a few cases, the acquisition of DNA sequence data for these projects will coincide with undergraduate courses, allowing students being trained in-class in the area of DNA sequencing to generate data for these research projects. The instrumentation will also be used in undergraduate courses as an educational tool.Biology and Chemistry faculty at Saint Cloud State University will be able to join together in research and education collaborations using this instrumentation. Undergraduate and graduate education is enhanced in two departments by having the ability to bridge the gap between education and research, to allow students to go beyond learning to inquiry. They will acquire the technical prowess to operate an automated DNA Sequencer and the intellectual capacity to understand why sequencing is important. For many students it can be said that they will have their "first" tangible discoveries with this instrumentation. Students will see on a computer screen data they generated, some of which has never been seen before.