FSML: ESTABLISHING A MODERN MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS FACILITY TO SUPPORT MICROBIOLOGY RESEARCH IN THE SIERRA NEVADA ECOREGION

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Molecular diagnostics methods such as quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) are increasingly important in environmental biology, including for the detection of pathogens and water quality assessment. Application of these methods is often hindered by access to the necessary equipment and instrumentation, especially in remote areas. California's Sierra Nevada is one of the best protected mountain ranges in the world, but nonetheless is affected by a host of environmental challenges, including impaired water quality. Although molecular diagnostics would greatly facilitate research on these problems and enable their remediation, no such facility exists in the area. This project will develop a molecular diagnostics facility at the University of California's Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory (SNARL), located in the central Sierra Nevada. This facility will substantially enhance the research capabilities of SNARL. It will also have broader positive effects, including benefitting several land and resource management agencies with jurisdiction over the Sierra Nevada (National Park Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Water Resources Control Board) whose need for molecular diagnostics has increased markedly in recent years. The facility will also expand teaching and training opportunities provided by existing undergraduate courses that use SNARL and facilitate the development of new courses, including those that increase engagement of students from the large populations of underrepresented groups that reside both locally and in southern California. The proposed facility also provides an opportunity to develop 'citizen science' projects aimed at high school students, college students, and the general public, including projects investigating water quality issues that directly impact local communities.The goal of this project is to add a molecular diagnostics facility to the existing microbiology laboratory at SNARL. This will include a qPCR system, large-capacity autoclave, biological safety cabinet, high-throughput tissue homogenizer, and micro-centrifuge. The proposed facility will be housed in the main laboratory building that was completely renovated and modernized in 2010-2011. The need for the proposed facility derived from a careful consideration of current and anticipated future research directions, an analysis of potential SNARL improvements and the projects they would benefit, and thorough consultation with SNARL users and the University of California management team. This new facility will dramatically expand the research capabilities of SNARL, including of the existing microbiology laboratory that is currently used primarily for bacterial culturing, and make available key research-related equipment that is either difficult to access or unavailable in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory web site: http://vesr.nrs.ucsb.edu/