Swinging-bucket ultracentrifuge rotor

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I am requesting funds to purchase a swinging bucket, titanium rotor that is used in ultra-high speed centrifugation to support research in the Biology Department at UNB Fredericton. The ultracentrifuge is basic piece of laboratory equipment required in any molecular biology/biochemistry laboratory and its function is based on rotation of samples around a fixed axis at very high speeds. This acceleration creates centripetal forces that are used to fractionate cellular suspensions on the basis of density and/or size. Swinging-bucket rotors have a long path length that is ideal for fractionating cellular components and protein complexes using density gradient centrifugation. My research utilizes this technique to examine the cellular location and biochemical properties of proteins that are related to the light harvesting complexes (LHC) found in all photosynthetic eukaryotes, which may have a role in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from damage due to excess light. These proteins are predicted to bind pigments and may have a role in dissipating light energy or otherwise protecting the photosynthetic apparatus during periods of stress when excess light can be destructive. Dissecting the role of this family of LHC-related proteins is important to predict the capacity of microalgae to tolerate increased stress conditions and ultimately contribute to the knowledge of how light harvesting and energy generation are regulated in microalgae.