Amersham Typhoon 9410 Variable Model Imager

描述（由申请人提供）：一个由10名NIH资助的研究人员组成的多样化用户组，在约翰霍普金斯大学生物系内，申请资金购买Amersham 9410台风变模式成像仪，以取代过时的1993年分子动力学SF模型455，该模型自1993年以来一直是该部门的主要主力。这种最先进的台风光能成像仪将在功能和最重要的可靠性方面取代并构成我们旧的SF 455系统的重大升级。该部门的调查人员都是由美国国立卫生研究院资助的，他们研究了许多基本的细胞生物学/生化相关问题，包括但不限于酵母中的钙信号；解旋酶和细菌偶联，蛋白质转录和DNA结合的调节，糖磷酸转移酶系统，膜组织和动力学；microtubule-based汽车;膜贩运;生殖细胞发育和迁移；感觉神经元发育；以及内吞作用的机制。在要求的配置中，9410光导成像仪将为我们不同的研究小组提供广泛的基本/高级成像/定量凝胶三明治，全尺寸琼脂糖和聚丙烯酰胺凝胶，膜，微孔板和微阵列的能力。我们目前的SF 455系统（一种有限格式的系统）缺乏或缺乏调查人员所需的这些功能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A diverse user-group of 10 NIH funded investigators, within the Department of Biology at The Johns Hopkins University, request funds to purchase an Amersham 9410 Typhoon Variable Mode Imager to replace an outmoded 1993 Molecular Dynamics SF Model 455, which has been the primary workhorse for the department since 1993. This state of- the-art Typhoon phosophorimager will replace and constitute a significant upgrade from our older SF 455 system in terms of capabilities and, most importantly, reliability. Department investigators, all well funded through the NIH, work on a host of basic cell biological/biochemical related questions including, though not limited to, calcium signaling in yeast; helicases and bacterial conjugation, regulation of transcription and DNA binding by proteins, glycose phosphotransferase system, membrane organization and dynamics; microtubule-based motors; membrane trafficking; germ cell development and migration; sensory neuron development; and mechanisms of endocytosis. In the requested configuration, the 9410 phosophorimager will afford our disparate group of investigators a broad range of basic/advance capabilities for imaging/quantifying gel sandwiches, full-sized agarose and polyacrylamide gels, membranes, microplates, and microarrays. These capabilities required by our investigators are absent or deficient on our current SF 455 system, a limited format system. An even more critical concern in this submission pertains to the age-related unreliability of our older SF 455 system; and that Amersham has discontinued supplying service/parts to maintain the system in competent working condition. Particular worrisome is that the MD 455 design incorporates a unique, un-replacable integral computer design for which parts have been progressively more difficult to acquire, reinforcing our concern that in the near future the system will become un-repairable leaving us with no system. An additional major consideration relates to the rather costly/messy maintenance of the film processor and safe handling/disposal of photographic chemicals. Consequently, given the essential nature of gels/blots to our basic biological/biochemical research and the evolving use of microarray analysis in genomics/proteomics by department investigators; coupled with escalating concerns pertaining to reliability and performance limitations of our current system; we are seeking to upgrade our common-use facilities with the addition of the 9410 variable mode imager. The Typhoon 9410 will be conveniently located, administered, and maintained, in the Department's Integrated Imaging Center (IIC); and it will be incorporated into the IIC's existing, well established recharge system to ensure recovery of funds for supplies and maintenance.