MRI: Acquisition of an ABI 3500xL Genetic Analyzer for the WVU Genomics Core Facility

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An award is made to West Virginia University (WVU) to replace and upgrade the existing Applied Biosystems 3130xL genetic analyzer with the ABI 3500xL, allowing enhancements to the current services provided by the WVU Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility (WVU-GBCF). Specifically, this replacement will improve turn-around time, result in higher quality output, and create the capacity for multiplexing, all of which will strengthen ongoing local and regional research and teaching efforts. As the state of West Virginia’s land grant institution, WVU and the WVU-GBCF are committed to providing training and support at both the university and statewide levels. There is strong interest in general genomics-related research and coursework, and as such, the WVU-GBCF provides numerous cutting-edge hands-on educational and training opportunities for students from all WVU campuses and the greater Appalachian region. Specifically, the facility provides training, troubleshooting, and services for students and instructors where DNA sequencing and/or fragment analysis is conducted as part of undergraduate laboratory courses. Moreover, the capabilities and resources provided by the WVU-GBCF are central to numerous undergraduate and graduate student thesis and dissertation projects ranging from the genomic responses to climate change in agronomically important crop plants to the genetics of opioid and psychostimulant abuse, topics of vital relevance for both West Virginia and the nation. The ABI 3500xL genetic analyzer will ensure the provision of educational and training opportunities in the development of a diverse and well-qualified workforce capable of confronting pressing environmental, medical, and ecological challenges.WVU is home to a vibrant, productive, and interdisciplinary research community, with genetic research efforts from a diverse set of disciplines including biochemistry, plant biology, evolution and speciation, ecology, wildlife conservation, infectious disease, microbiology, climate change, pharmacology, and physiology. The resources available at the WVU Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility (WVU-GBCF) provide the high-quality, affordable, and efficient DNA sequencing, fragment analysis, and cell-line authentication services that are crucial to the success of genetic and genomic-related efforts at WVU. Further, the WVU-GBCF supports several universities in the region and across the state that rely on DNA sequencing and consultation services.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.