MRI-R2: Acquisition of High Performance Centrifuge and Freeze-Dry System to Enhance Research and Teaching

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Support from the NSF MRI-R2 program allowed Texas A&M International University to acquire a High Performance Refrigerated Centrifuge and a Benchtop Freeze Dry systems. The new equipment enables the efficient isolation and purification of plant lectins and will provide purified lectins for use in further research. Described as proteins of non-immune origin, lectins are useful in investigating protein- carbohydrate interactions because of their specificity for defined carbohydrate structures. Understanding the mechanism of protein-carbohydrate interaction by way of examining the carbohydrate specificity of lectins is critical in various fields, including pest- and disease-resistant plants. Researchers at Texas A&M International University are using the new systems to systematically search and accurately map new plant sources of lectin native to the South Texas region. Through their experiments, these researchers are developing a set of protocols to isolate and purify lectins from these new plant sources, and building an accurate and up-to-date inventory of lectin sources useful in a range of disciplines. The instruments will also be used to train students on the protocols and techniques of protein purification and biochemical assay, and develop in these students the ability to independently design and carry-out experiments. The instruments expand intramural (intra- and inter-departmental) and extramural collaborative research engagements. Improvement in TAMIU's research infrastructure through this equipment grant will also broaden the participation of students from this historically underrepresented population in scientific research activities, which will contribute to the emergence of a racially diverse national scientific workforce critical to the technological and economic competitiveness of the U.S. in the twenty-first century. Finally, as a production site for scientific knowledge, results from research enabled by this equipment request will be broadly disseminated through scientific conferences, scholarly journals, and other public academic forums.