High throughput genotyping & gene expression work station for research in ecology and evolution

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The last 3 decades have borne witness to incredible advances in molecular techniques that have permeated all fields of biology, including ecology, conservation and evolutionary biology. High-resolution molecular markers provide insights into population and community dynamics, mating systems, adaptation, dispersal and population connectivity, evolutionary relationships, and species origins. In turn, such data may inform management of species of conservation concern, impacts of human-caused habitat fragmentation, and the influence of climate change on species distributions. Addressing such questions, however, typically requires that we collect and process samples from 100s of individuals and survey increasing numbers of DNA markers (>15). Here we propose to purchase a high-throughput automated two 96 well-plate Beckman genotyping and gene expression work station that will i. alleviate an average 2-3 month backlog that we now experience in our shared core facility, ii. allow us to significantly increase the number of loci and samples we run, iii. permit us to explore new avenues of research particularly related to gene expression and northern range limits, and iv. facilitate leading edge graduate and post doc training in the latest molecular ecological techniques. The facility will be shared among 10 ecology and evolution faculty, be used by a minimum of some 30 graduate students and 16 undergraduate thesis students per year, and made available to >25 of our tenured and adjunct biology colleagues on a cost recovery basis.