High Performance Sample Preparation Instrument

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We request funding from the Shared Instrumentation Grant Program (S10) to purchase a Covaris E210 Adaptive Focused Acoustic (AFA) instrument for the extraction of cellular RNA and the preparation of DNA for sequencing. The E210 would relieve the current bottleneck that is common to many of the ongoing genome projects at the University of Utah, namely that of preparing high quality DNA for complex sequencing efforts. The E210 will enable new strategies for identifying mutations that disrupt nervous system function and behavior, help provide single cell transcriptome data from identified cells and neurons, and greatly increase the throughput and success rate of genome sequencing. Recent technological advances in "next generation" sequencing have dramatically transformed our approach to genetics: mutations that may be difficult or impossible to map and clone using standard techniques can now be identified via whole genome sequencing. Using a recently acquired Illumina Genome Analyzer II (GA II) that is supported by the University of Utah, NIH-funded researchers are characterizing genomes de novo, identifying genomic mutations and polymorphisms, and cataloguing transcriptomes. DNA sequencing is critically dependent on quality DNA and RNA and conventional shearing methods lead to unacceptable loss of limited and precious material and does not prepare suitably homogenous DNA. Therefore, to increase the scope of our research efforts while simultaneously improving the efficiency and decreasing the costs of sequencing, we request funding to purchase the Covaris E210, which will allow us to adequately control the processes of tissue disruption, cell lysis, emulsification and production of sequencing-grade DNA. NIH funded researchers who are studying neurotransmission, protein trafficking, and receptor biology will use this instrument. Additionally, this instrument will be invaluable in ongoing efforts to identify novel pharmacological compounds from rare species of Cones snails that modify the functions of the brain and heart. These studies will impact a number of acute and chronic human diseases, including developmental and mental health disorders, excitotoxicity and stroke syndromes, degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and disorders of cardiac function.