Acquisition of a Thermal Cycler and QPCR Instrument to Incorporate Molecular Biochemistry into Undergraduate Research and Education

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。NSF MRI-R2计划的支持使苏必利尔湖上级州立大学，一个小型的公立大学，获得了两个系统。第一种是热循环仪，这是一种通过聚合酶链式反应过程扩增DNA片段的设备。第二种是定量聚合酶链反应系统。该仪器扩展了分子生物学的现有研究，并允许教师和学生在分子生物学研究领域取得进展。项目包括鉴定和监测饮用水和娱乐用水中的微生物种类，研究由双相真菌病原体皮肤芽生菌引起的芽生菌病，调查与坎内尔顿工业超级基金有关的上圣玛丽河细菌群落中的mer操纵子，以及恢复纽约州濒危的圆白鱼（Prosopium cylindraceum）。 该仪器还用于促进本科研究;将基本分子生物学技术引入本科化学课程;并支持教师，学生和社区合作伙伴关系。学生培训和教学将影响在上级州立大学攻读学士学位的大部分美洲原住民学生。 通过学生和教师在区域和国家会议上的介绍以及通过在同行评审期刊上的出版，传播新设备所支持的研究结果。

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 Lake Superior State University, a small, public primarily undergraduate institution, to acquire two systems. The first is a thermal cycler, an apparatus that amplifies segments of DNA via the polymerase chain reaction process. The second is a quantitative polymerase chain reaction system. The instrumentation expands current research in molecular biology, and allows faculty and students to progress in the area of molecular biology research. Projects include identification and monitoring of microbial species in drinking and recreational water, studies of Blastomycosis caused by the dimorphic fungal pathogen Blastomyces dermatitidis, investigations of the mer operon in the bacterial community of the Upper St. Marys River associated with the Cannelton Industries Superfund, and the recovery of the New York state-endangered round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum). The instrumentation is also used to promote undergraduate research; introduce fundamental molecular biology techniques into the undergraduate chemistry curriculum; and support faculty, student, and community partnerships. Student training and teaching will impact a large fraction of the Native American students pursuing baccalaureate degrees at Lake Superior State University. Results from the studies enabled by the new equipment are disseminated by student and faculty presentations at regional and national meetings, and through publication in peer-reviewed journals.