Digital gel documentations system for comparative immunology group

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Here we request a Gel documentation system for the Comparative Immunology Group. Comparative immunology, or the study of immune processes in animals is often measured by the expression of immune genes. Many components of our research involve visualizing DNA fragments. DNA is mixed with a dye that binds very specifically to the DNA, which when illuminated by UV light, shines bright red. Thus bands can be visualized on a UV box (transilluminator). Photographs can be taken of these bands for a permanent record. We can determine the size of a gene fragment by comparison with known standards, or the amount of a gene expressed by analyzing the density of the band. We can also excise the DNA from the gel to recover the gene to study its function in cell lines. This allows us to determine the response of an animal to disease organisms. This instrument will support all comparative immunologists and microbiologists working in area. Our lab is studying how ducks fight the flu virus, since they are infected but unharmed by strains that kill chickens, pigs, and humans. Another program examines the regulation of the gene mutator used for antibody diversity, by studying the system in fish.