Upgrade Laboratories Facilities at UPR-Rio Piedras

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of the Rio Piedras RISE Program is to increase the number and quality of biomedical research efforts by enhancing the academic and research preparation of graduate and undergraduate science students, developing the research capabilities of the involved faculty and fostering a supportive institutional environment. This supplemental application is requesting funding for instrumentation utilized in the teaching laboratories of courses required for all students completing B.S. degrees in either Biology or Chemistry. All RISE undergraduate research trainees have to take these courses and this application addresses enhancement of their academic preparation, however the techniques they will acquire will also impact their capability in research. The instruments requested for the Genetics, Molecular Biotechnology and Molecular and Cellular Biology will serve to improve the quality of the laboratory experiences of over 220 undergraduates each year. These will include: 1) an ultra low temperature freezer, 2) a gel documentation system, 3) an incubator to be dedicated solely to the culture of mammalian cell lines, and 4) three UV/Vis spectrophotometers. The instruments requested for the Organic, Instrumental and Physical Chemistry will also attend to the laboratory instruction of over 220 undergraduates each year. The equipment requested here includes: 1) three UV-Vis Spectrophotometer systems, 2) One Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (this instrument will also serve 15-20 graduate students per year), and 3) Two High Performance Liquid Chromatographs. The instrumentation requested will either replace old equipment or will be available for the first time in these laboratories. It is hoped that enhancement of these laboratories will result in future graduate students who will be better prepared to complete their doctorates in biomedically relevant science.