High pressure liquid chromatography system for analyzing photosynthetic algae and bacteria in surface waters and aquatic sediments

该提案要求采用高压液相色谱（HPLC）系统，用于分析水、底栖生物（湖泊和溪流底部的基质）、生物区系和沉积物样品中来自光合藻类、细菌和高等植物的色素。 具体而言，我们要求Agilent 1200系列HPLC系统配备自动分析仪和其他规格，可以快速定量和鉴定大量样品（20个样品/天）中的色素，以支持四位教授的研究和培训计划，这些教授致力于了解自然水生系统如何应对人类干扰和自然现象并从中恢复。 所要求的设备将允许在现有和未来研究基金产生的数据的数量和质量方面进行重大改进，允许研究计划通过色素分子的机器辅助测量来量化藻类和光合细菌的反应，而不是耗时，昂贵的人类使用显微镜进行分析。 该设备将提供重要的信息，以确定气候变化、河流调节和消耗性用水对重要洪泛区环境中水生系统的影响（例如，麦肯齐流域）;根据需要了解Bosumtwi湖（加纳）气象条件与初级生产者之间的联系，以解释赤道西非100万年来的气候变化记录;开发创新的新方法，利用底栖藻类监测水质，以改善区域至国家范围的地表沃茨管理;加深我们对导致滋扰性藻类过度生长及藻类产生毒素的因素的认识;并提高对湖泊中自由漂浮的藻类（浮游植物）如何适应紫外线辐射等压力的理解。拟议的高效液相色谱系统将大大增加培训高素质人才的机会，在水生生态学，水文生态学和古生态学的最先进的技术。 私人和政府部门对HPLC系统的使用正在增加，因此，对我们的学生进行拟议设备的培训将增加他们的就业机会。

This proposal requests a High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system for analyzing pigments from photosynthetic algae, bacteria and higher plants in samples of water, benthos (substrates on the bottom of lakes and streams), biota and sediment.  Specifically, we request an Agilent 1200 Series HPLC system with autoanalyzer and other specifications that allow rapid quantification and identification of pigments in large numbers of samples (20 samples/day) to support research and training programs of four professors dedicated to understanding how natural aquatic systems respond to, and recover from, human disturbances and natural phenomena.  The requested equipment will allow significant improvements in terms of quantity and quality of data that can be produced with existing and future research funds by allowing research programs to quantify responses of algae and photosynthetic bacteria via machine-aided measurements of pigment molecules, rather than time-consuming, costly analyses by humans using microscopes.  The equipment will provide important information to determine the impacts of climate variability, river regulation and consumptive water use on aquatic systems in important floodplain environments (e.g., Mackenzie Drainage Basin); to understand linkages between meteorological conditions and primary producers in Lake Bosumtwi (Ghana) as required to interpret 1 million year long records of climate change from equatorial west Africa; to develop innovative new methods to monitor water quality using benthic algae to improve management of surface waters on regional to national scales; to improve our understanding of factors promoting excessive growth of nuisance algae and production of toxins by algae; and to improve understanding of how free-floating algae (phytoplankton) in lakes adapt to stresses such as UV radiation. The proposed HPLC system will significantly enhance opportunities for training highly qualified personnel in state-of-the-art techniques in aquatic ecology, hydro-ecology and paleoecology.  Use of HPLC systems by private and government sectors is increasing, thus, training our students on the proposed equipment will enhance their employment opportunities.