Ultracold storage facility for evolutionary and ecological genetics

分子标记已经彻底改变了生态学、进化生物学和保护遗传学。高分辨率的DNA标记允许关键的洞察力等基础研究主题的时间和机制的物种形成，交配系统和性选择，社区动态，范围限制的演变，和保护物种的风险。这种研究工作通常涉及多年来每个项目收集100个，有时是1000个组织样本，从中提取DNA，然后用于调查野生种群的遗传多样性。为了确保样品在这种分子分析中的生存能力，最好的选择是将它们保持在恒定的超低温（-80 ° C）下。在这里，我们要求资金购买三个24立方英尺-86度冰箱，以支持在八个生态学和进化系的实验室和大约40名学生和博士后研究员/年的研究。在皇后大学生物系我们的需求是可怕的，因为我们只有两个冰柜，其中一个是超过10年的历史。我们的许多样品目前储存在一个普通的-25摄氏度的步入式冰箱中，这是一个难以长期储存的选择。因此，我们甚至没有能力为我们目前的样本，更不用说那些将在未来收集（4-5000样本/年。如果冷冻箱出现故障，则没有备份。所要求的冷冻箱配置将安全地容纳我们目前的组织和DNA收集，并允许存储可预见的未来预期的样本，并将为我们提供升级和整合编目系统的机会，以便由我们的分子研究助理管理。

Molecular markers have revolutionized ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation genetics. High resolution DNA markers permit key insights into such foundational research themes as the timing and mechanisms of speciation, mating systems and sexual selection, community dynamics, the evolution of range limits, and conservation of species at risk. Such research endeavours typically involve collecting 100s and sometimes 1000s of tissue samples per project over many years, tissues from which DNA is extracted and then used to survey genetic diversity among wild populations. To ensure viability of samples for such molecular analyses the best option is to maintain them at constant, ultra low (-80 degrees C) temperatures. Here we request funding to purchase three 24 cubic feet -86 degree freezers to support the research in the laboratories of eight ecology and evolution faculty and approximately 40 students and postdoctoral fellows/yr. in the Department of Biology at Queen's University. Our need is dire as we have only two freezers, one of which is over 10 years old. Many of our samples are currently stored in a regular - 25 degree C walk-in freezer, an untenable long term storage option. We thus have no capacity for even our current samples, let alone ones that will be collected in the future (4-5000 samples/yr.) and no back-up should a freezer fail  The freezer configuration requested will securely house our current tissue and DNA collection, plus allow storage of samples anticipated for the foreseeable future, and will provide us with an opportunity to upgrade and integrate our cataloguing system so that it may be managed by our molecular research associate.