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)提供资金的。在NSF MRI-R2计划的支持下，苏必利尔湖州立大学这所以本科为主的小型公立大学获得了两套系统。第一种是热循环仪，这是一种通过聚合酶链式反应过程放大DNA片段的设备。第二个是定量聚合酶链式反应系统。该仪器扩展了目前分子生物学的研究，并允许教职员工和学生在分子生物学研究领域取得进展。项目包括确定和监测饮用水和娱乐用水中的微生物种类，研究由皮炎芽孢杆菌引起的芽生真菌病，调查与坎尼尔顿工业超级基金有关的圣玛丽斯河上游细菌群落中的细菌操纵子，以及恢复纽约州濒危的圆形白鱼(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生化学课程；以及支持教师、学生和社区伙伴关系。学生培训和教学将影响到在苏必利尔湖州立大学攻读学士学位的很大一部分美国原住民学生。由新设备实现的研究结果通过学生和教职员工在地区和国家会议上的陈述以及通过在同行评议的期刊上发表来传播。

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.