A Gas Chromatograph - Mass Spectrometer for Measurement of Plant Metabolites

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This award supports acquisition of a tandem quadrupole gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer (GC-MS/MS) system to be used by investigators at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and Cornell University. Recent technical advances in mass spectrometry permit the detection and measurement of small molecules found in the cells of plants and other organisms to be performed on an unprecedented scale, with hundreds of small molecules being detected in a single run of a GC-MS/MS. Such comprehensive metabolite profiling (metabolomics) technology is critical to progress in understanding the biological significance of newly available, detailed information about the genomic sequences of a number of organisms. The GC-MS/MS will enhance the current research projects of more than a dozen investigators, who will use this instrument for measuring a large variety of primary and secondary metabolites. These metabolites include sugars deposited during fruit ripening, amino acids, plant hormones involved in defensive signaling, herbivory-induced volatiles, molecules mediating host plant recognition by specialist herbivores, and chemical deterrents of herbivory, among others. Although the GC-MS/MS will be located at BTI, its utility will extend to the larger Cornell research community and other nearby academic institutions. Through graduate and postdoctoral training programs, the instrument will contribute to the training of the next generation of scientists and educators. The research conducted at BTI is expected to have an important role in crop plant improvements as the result of improved knowledge of plant defense, light signaling, development, and nutritional quality. The instrument will also help in the training of undergraduate and high school students through the BTI Plant Genome Research internship program, which places particular emphasis on recruiting minority students, who are underrepresented in all areas of plant research, and students from smaller colleges where laboratory research is not a major focus of the educational program.