Acquisition of a Multifunctional Imaging System for Molecular Life Science Research and Teaching

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A grant has been awarded to St. John's University under the direction of Dr. Michael Reagan for partial support of the acquisition of a multifunctional imaging instrument for molecular biological investigations. This instrument is extremely versatile and will be used for the detection of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and proteins in a number of different investigations. The goal of this project is to enhance the ability of faculty and students at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict to perform molecular life science experiments in both collaborative student/faculty research projects and in labs associated with classes. The instrument is crucial to a number of collaborative student/faculty investigations. These include studies a) of how damage to DNA affects transcription, b) investigation of the role of a particular protein, called phosphatase 1, in the formation and maintenance of blood vessels in the retina, c) studying the structure of short pieces of DNA (oligonucleotides) as well as in studies of the human enzyme called adipocyte acid phosphatase, found in adipose (fat) cells, and d) studies of the metabolic adaptations of a variety of different organisms to changes in growth conditions such as temperature and diet. These projects all address important biological problems of current interest. This multifunctional imager enhances the undergraduate research capabilities at the College of St. Benedict (CSB), a college for women and St. John's University (SJU), a college for men; two institutions that have a coordinate relationship and share a common curriculum with joint classes and departments. The instrument will be used by faculty and students in the Biology and Chemistry departments for collaborative research, and will be used in at least six undergraduate classes enrolling students with majors in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Natural Science. Acquisition of this instrument will strengthen the research infrastructure of these departments by expanding the ability to visualize and analyze nucleic acids and proteins using a wide variety of techniques. In addition, this instrument will help the Biology and Chemistry departments continue to be successful at attracting and graduating women and American multicultural students by increasing the opportunities of students to participate in modern molecular biological research. This instrument will be a resource for the entire central Minnesota region; for example, faculty and students at the nearby St. Cloud State University will also be users of the instrument.