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

该奖项根据 2009 年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法 111-5）提供资金。 NSF MRI-R2 项目的支持使苏必利尔湖州立大学（一所小型公立本科院校）获得了两个系统。第一个是热循环仪，这是一种通过聚合酶链式反应过程扩增 DNA 片段的装置。二是定量聚合酶链式反应系统。该仪器扩展了分子生物学的当前研究，并使教师和学生能够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水中的微生物种类、研究由二形性真菌病原体皮炎芽生菌引起的芽生菌病、研究与坎纳尔顿工业超级基金相关的圣玛丽河上游细菌群落中的 mer 操纵子，以及恢复纽约州濒临灭绝的圆白鱼（Prosopium cylindraceum）。 该仪器还用于促进本科生研究；将基本分子生物学技术引入本科化学课程；并支持教师、学生和社区伙伴关系。学生培训和教学将影响大部分在苏必利尔湖州立大学攻读学士学位的美国原住民学生。 新设备的研究结果通过学生和教师在地区和国家会议上的演讲以及在同行评审期刊上发表来传播。

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.