Acquisition of Instrumentation to Enhance the Capabilities for Research and Teaching of the DNA Analysis Core Facility at the Center for Marine Science

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A grant has been awarded to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington under the direction of Dr. D. Wilson Freshwater to acquire a genetic analyzer (DNA sequencer) and several pieces of ancillary equipment for the core sequencing facility. Currently, an antiquated sequencer is heavily used and is inadequate to meet the research and teaching needs of a number of faculty who employ sequence data in the research. The new sequencer, an ABI 3130xl Genetic Analyzer, is also more flexible than the older model by allowing several different types of analysis (e.g., nucleotide sequencing and DNA fragment analysis) to be run without delays of switching various components of the instrument. Research topics include fisheries management, biodiversity and evolution of marine and freshwater algae, identification of organisms in microbial communities, and conservation genetics of invertebrates and fishes. The instrument will be used in laboratory sections of several courses and allow undergraduates and graduate students to perform hands-on research. The instrument will also be available to students from a nearby community college and by select high school students.