Acquisition of Microarray Instrumentation and a High Throughput Capillary Sequencer for Biological Research

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A grant has been awarded to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) under the direction of Dr. Frank van Breukelen for the partial support of the acquisition of a microarrayer and a capillary sequencing instrument. These instruments will allow for high throughput characterization of genes and differential gene expression in research programs covering a wide range of biological questions. These instruments will have profound effects on furthering research programs that include physiological responses to stress in plants and animals, developmental biology, neurobiology, behavioral physiology, bioinformatics, species interactions, speciation, ecosystem functioning, and plant/microbe interactions. The acquisition of microarray capacity will allow exploration at the genomic level and will likely generate significant new hypotheses for future directions. The increased capacity for DNA sequencing afforded by a new high throughput capillary sequencer will greatly enhance research programs in fields as divergent as molecular systematics and basic biochemistry. Training at all levels has always been a major component of research activities at UNLV and these instruments will further enhance training opportunities. Undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows will gain access to modern technologies that will allow them to incorporate these important research tools into their repertoire of skills. We currently offer courses (and are planning additional courses) targeted towards capitalizing on the technologies supported by the genomics facility. We have and will continue to actively encourage the participation of underrepresented groups in our research programs. Southern Nevada is the fastest growing region in the United States of America and UNLV's growth has reflected this with an 18.5% increase in student population in two years. UNLV has an opportunity to be an epicenter for a diversification of the State's economy since there are no equivalent institutions for several hundred kilometers. The further development of UNLV as a research university will provide additional resources to attract high tech industries. Finally, additional resources will augment current NSF EPSCoR efforts to make UNLV researchers more competitive for federal funding.