MRI: Acquisition of a Modern Capillary Genetic Analyzer for Multi-investigator Research in Population, Phylogeographic, Phylogenetic, and Behavioral Genetics

坦帕大学（UT）获得了一项用于核酸（DNA）分离和研究的毛细管电泳仪器SeqStudioTM。它将极大地促进各种行为，生态，种群遗传，环境和进化研究项目和本科生的研究培训。该仪器将取代上一代劳动密集型的单毛细管仪器，并允许UT的众多教师快速采用。 UT主要是一所本科院校，目前正在进行一项全校范围的计划，为教师提供资金援助，以将课程转换为包括学生调查。生物系长期以来一直致力于保持高水平的参与本科生在教师的研究。毕业高级出口调查表明，60%至95%的毕业生已经参与了课堂外的研究。因此，40-50%的毕业生表示他们希望继续STEM领域的研究生或专业课程也就不足为奇了。生物学专业的本科生近75%是女性; 22%是代表性不足的少数民族或种族的成员; 14%是第一代大学生。这些比例反映在调查人员的研究实验室中，并提供资金援助，以进一步鼓励代表性不足的学生参加研究。此外，所有的调查人员进行研究，强调环境科学，并通知保护决策。因此，收购SeqStudioTM将使下一代科学家接触到尖端的研究和仪器，并提高STEM和环境能力以及我们的全球竞争力。SeqStudioTM基因分析仪是一种用于分离和可视化DNA碱基和片段的四毛细管电泳仪器。六名研究人员中的每一位都对野生生物进行研究，其重点涵盖了可以使用DNA技术回答的问题，从行为水平，到种群水平，到地理学，到物种划分和识别水平，甚至到深层系统发育水平。研究包括各种野生动物物种的保护、生态和进化遗传学研究，海洋脊椎动物视网膜视蛋白基因和表达蛋白的特征，鱼类雄性父母照顾的进化和多样化，鱼类的繁殖行为，以及海马和海龙在坦帕湾、佛罗里达群岛和巴哈马群岛的生态和分布。SeqStudioTM具有运行DNA序列、片段分析（基因分型）和SNP基因分型的能力，并将允许校园内的研究实验室扩展功能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An award is made to the University of Tampa (UT) for acquisition of a capillary electrophoresis instrument, the SeqStudioTM, for separation and study of nucleic acids (DNA). It will greatly facilitate a variety of behavioral, ecological, population genetic, environmental, and evolution research projects and research-training of undergraduate students. This instrument will replace an earlier generation labor-intensive single capillary instrument, and permit quick adoption by numerous faculty at UT. UT is primarily an undergraduate institution and currently engaged in a campus-wide initiative which provides funding assistance to faculty to convert courses to include student inquiry. The biology department has long been dedicated to maintaining high levels of involvement by undergraduates in faculty research. Graduating senior exit surveys indicate that 60% to 95% of graduating students have been involved in research outside the classroom. Thus it is not surprising that 40-50% of graduating seniors indicate that they wish to continue in graduate or professional programs in STEM fields. Undergraduates majoring in biology are nearly 75% female; 22% are members of underrepresented ethnic or racial minorities; and 14% are first generation college students. These ratios are reflected in the investigators' research laboratories, and funding assistance exists to further encourage underrepresented students to participate in research. Further, all of the investigators carry out research that emphasizes environmental science and that informs conservation decision-making. Therefore, acquisition of the SeqStudioTM will expose the next the generation of scientists to cutting-edge research and instrumentation and increase STEM as well as environmental competencies and our global competiveness.The SeqStudioTM Genetic Analyzer is a four capillary electrophoresis instrument for separating and visualizing DNA bases and fragments. Each of the six investigators carry out research on wild organisms, the focus of which spans questions that can be answered using DNA techniques from the behavioral level, to the population level, to the phylogeographic, to the species delineation and identification level, and even to the deep phylogenetic level. Studies include conservation, ecological and evolutionary genetic studies on a variety of wild animal species, characterizing the retinal opsin genes and expressed proteins from marine vertebrate, the evolution and diversification of male parental care in fishes, the reproductive behavior of fish, and the ecology and distribution of seahorses and pipefishes in Tampa Bay, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. The SeqStudioTM has the capability of running DNA sequences, fragment analysis (genotyping), and SNP genotyping, and will permit expanded capabilities for research labs on campus.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.