Wichita State University Combined Core Facility Renovation project

描述（由申请人提供）：本文所述的WSU综合核心设施改造项目提案概述了威奇托州立大学（WSU）生物系核心实验室设施重大升级的计划。组成核心的实验室是在20年前由卫斯理基金会拨款建立的独立核心实验室。他们最近通过授予一项为期5年的NIH P01计划项目“衰老的垂体/性腺轴”（1P01AG029531）而重新焕发活力和重组。这个多研究者、多机构的项目以华盛顿州立大学为中心，George Bousfield博士担任项目负责人，重点研究人类FSH糖型表达的年龄相关变化以及这些变化所体现的不同生化和生理特性。在P01中，三个核心实验室功能整合在整个核心b中。这三个功能包括蛋白质表达，蛋白质纯化和表征以及蛋白质功能分析，涉及分子生物学，蛋白质化学和细胞培养三个基础学科。这些实验室因此形成了分子、蛋白质和细胞培养核心的基础。此外，一间存放P01工程中使用的许多仪器的部门“公用设备间”已被重新指定为设备中心。这四个核心实验室在功能和管理上被组织成联合核心设施。该设施现在已经定义了一个整体核心设施领导者和个人核心实验室领导者的组织结构，部分由P01资助支持。P01基金代表了华盛顿州立大学科学家建立生殖衰老研究中心（WSU CFRA）这一长期目标的第一步。P01项目的有效和成功进展以及中心发展的核心是核心设施的改造和核心设施设备的升级。核心设施位于哈伯德大厅四楼的生物科学系。哈伯德大厅建于1973年，实验室既没有大的扩建，也没有大的翻新。此外，实验室的设计是为了满足本科教学的需要，而不是研究的需要。联合核心设施目前存在许多缺陷，影响了开展有效工作的能力，并损害了该设施支持拟议的研究活动增加的能力。缺陷包括：实验室工作台、橱柜和水槽的条件差，缺乏无线互联网接入，电源插头的放置效率低，关键设备缺乏应急电源，实验室空间配置效率低，缺乏洗眼/淋浴站，不适当的通风柜，以及不符合ADA。其他缺陷反映了关键核心设施设备，这些设备一致使用了10-20年。该项目的目标是通过改造23个区域，包括组成综合核心设施的4个实验室，并重新装备实验室，来弥补上述缺陷。拟议的核心设施改造加上核心设施设备的采购将带来巨大的好处，这将：(a)确保P01计划中定义的正在进行的项目的成功；(b)为预期在2014年更新P01提供科学承诺的证据；(c)就与P01计划直接有关的新拨款申请，为扩大研究工作提供基础；(d)持续及扩大支援部门内及隶属于部门的现有实验室科学家；(e)为招聘新教师提供支持，其中一些人的研究兴趣将与P01计划的重点一致。P01基金是迄今为止授予华盛顿州立大学教职员工的最大一笔由研究者发起的基金。这项改造建议旨在确保完成P01目标，并允许扩展以促进生物科学系内的研究支持。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The WSU Combined Core Facility Renovation Project proposal described herein outlines plans to upgrade significantly the Wichita State University (WSU) Department of Biology Core Lab Facility. The Labs comprising the Core were established as separate core laboratories 20 years ago by a Wesley Foundation grant. They have recently been reinvigorated and reorganized through the awarding of a 5-year NIH P01 Program Project entitled "The Aging Pituitary/Gonadal Axis" (1P01AG029531). This multi-investigator, multi-institutional program project is centered at WSU with Dr. George Bousfield as its PI and is focused upon the age-related changes in the expression of human FSH glycoforms and the differential biochemical and physiological properties manifest by these changes. Within the P01, three Core Lab functions are consolidated within overall Core B. These 3 functions include protein expression, protein purification and characterization, and protein functional analysis, which involve three fundamental disciplines, molecular biology, protein chemistry, and cell culture. These labs thus form the basis of the Molecular, Protein, and Cell Culture Cores. In addition, a departmental "common equipment room" housing many instruments utilized in the P01 Project has been re-designated as the Equipment Core. These four Core Labs have been organized functionally and administratively into the Combined Core Facility. This Facility now has defined organizational structure with an overall Core Facility Leader and Individual Core Lab Leaders supported in part by the P01 grant. The P01 grant represents the initial step towards the long-term goal of WSU scientists to establish a Center for Reproductive Aging (WSU CFRA). Central to efficient and successful progress of the P01 project and development of the Center is the renovation of the Core Facility and the upgrading of Core Facility equipment. The Core Facility is housed in the Department of Biological Sciences on the 4th floor of Hubbard Hall. Built in 1973, Hubbard Hall has seen neither major additions nor major renovations to the labs. Moreover, the labs were designed to meet the needs of the undergraduate teaching not research. The Combined Core Facility currently has numerous deficiencies that impact the ability to carry out efficient work and impair the ability of the Facility to support proposed increases in research activity. Deficiencies include: the poor condition of laboratory benches, cabinets, and sinks, lack of wireless Internet access, inefficient placement of power plugs, lack of emergency power for key pieces of equipment, inefficient lab space configuration, lack of eyewash/shower stations, inappropriate fume hoods, and inconsistent ADA compliance. Additional deficiencies reflect key Core Facility Equipment, which is uniformly 10-20 years old. The goal of this project is to remedy the above deficiencies through renovation of 23 areas comprising the 4 Labs comprising the Combined Core Facility and re-equipping the Labs. The proposed Core Facility renovations coupled with the procurement of Core Facility equipment will provide immense benefit that will: (a) ensure the success of ongoing projects defined within the P01 Program; (b) provide evidence of scientific commitment for anticipated renewal of the P01 in 2014; (c) provide a basis for expanded research efforts in terms of a new grant applications that directly relate to the P01; (d) provide continued and expanded support for current laboratory-based scientists both within the department and those affiliated with the department; and (e) provide support for the recruitment of new faculty into the department, some of whom will have research interests consistent with the focus of the P01 Program. The P01 Grant represents the largest investigator-initiated grant ever awarded to a WSU faculty member. This renovation proposal is intended to ensure completion of the P01 goals and allow expansion to facilitate support of research within the Department of Biological Sciences.