MRI: Acquisition of a fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) supporting multi-disciplinary approaches to exploring biological responses

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An award is made to Rhodes College to support the acquisition of a fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) to enhance the research of faculty and training of undergraduate students at Rhodes College and institutions in the Memphis area. This instrument allows separation of small particles, including living cells, from large populations and is based on very specific features such as particle size or the presence of a protein. As cells are isolated, very detailed information can be gathered about each cell and the living cells can be further studied. Addition of the FACS instrument will transform the ability to train the next generation of scientists in Rhodes faculty-led coursework, mentored research, and outreach programs at this research-active Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI). This instrument allows fast and precise analysis and separation that is very robust so that it will help scientists and undergraduate students answer a broad range of biological questions, including the how genes function, how cells respond to stress, and questions regarding biodiversity in ecological systems. Projects will focus on (1) epigenetic gene regulation; (2) parental control of gene expression; (3) response to viral infection; (4) metal intake in a type of Salmonella bacterium; (5) immune system response to a type of fungal pathogen; (6) vitamin dependent cell cycle progression; (7) phytoplankton communities in freshwater ecosystems; and (8) speciation response to changes in ploidy. This work will be shared with the scientific community through presentations at national conferences and publication with undergraduate co-authors in peer-reviewed journals.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.