Acquisition of a Fluorescence and Chemiluminescence Imaging Platform

多年来，NSERC资助的至少11个舍布鲁克大学生物系PI及其80多名受训人员和工作人员科学家的研究项目由于缺乏灵敏且易于访问的化学发光和荧光成像平台而大大放缓。这种仪器对于几乎所有的分子/细胞生物学和微生物学研究项目都是绝对必要的，因为它允许检测和定量蛋白质，核酸和多种类型的荧光团。** 尽管如此至关重要，生物系目前配备了一台过时的化学发光成像仪，无法检测荧光，灵敏度水平远低于当前系统。现状意味着我们无法使用这种过时的设备检测到生物信号的重要部分。由于该系统是唯一可用于> 20组的化学发光仪器，因此它被持续使用，迫使我们近四分之一的实验室依赖胶片进行免疫印迹，这是学员最常见的实验之一。这种方法更加耗时和耗费资源，并且胶片的饱和性质使得信号量化不如现代成像仪精确。基于CCD相机的荧光平台的获取还将通过多重免疫印迹显着加快数据采集，显着减少完成实验所需的工作量。此外，对于需要灵敏检测核酸的实验，使用荧光而不是放射性试剂也将节省宝贵的工作台空间、时间和资源。新的成像仪所提供的更高的数据收集效率和吞吐量无疑将增加出版产出和所有共同申请人在赠款竞争中的成功。** 为了解决这些长期存在的问题，这些问题阻碍了我们在免疫学，基因组维护，染色质调节，植物-微生物相互作用和细菌遗传学方面的研究进展，我们申请资金购买Biorad Chemidoc MP平台。该系统结合了化学/荧光检测的出色灵敏度和分辨率，还包括可以说是最精细和用户友好的图像分析和量化软件套件，这些软件套件是针对该应用进行测试的所有领先成像系统中的一个。Chemidoc MP系统将完美地补充我们现有的仪器基础，并为我们提供最先进的成像功能，使我们的部门能够完全过渡到基于CCD相机的成像，有效地节省研究资金，时间和资源，同时提高生产力。该系统的收购是必不可少的，我们的研究计划，并将使许多新的项目，以及有助于在一个主要的方式，从几个实验室在生物系和我们大学的科学系高素质的人才的培训。

For a number of years, the NSERC-funded research programs of at least 11 PIs of the Université de Sherbrooke Biology department and their > 80 trainees and staff scientists have been considerably slowed down by the lack of a sensitive and readily accessible chemiluminescence and fluorescence imaging platform. Such an instrument is absolutely necessary for virtually all molecular/cellular biology and microbiology research projects as it allows the detection and quantification of proteins, nucleic acids and multiple types of fluorophores. ******Despite this critical importance, the Biology department is currently equipped with a single outdated chemiluminescence imager that cannot detect fluorescence and has a sensitivity level well below that achieved by current systems. The status quo means that we are unable to detect an important fraction of biological signals using this obsolete apparatus. Since this system is the only chemiluminescence instrument available for > 20 groups, it is continuously used, forcing almost a quarter of our labs to rely on films for immunoblots, one of the most common experiment performed by trainees. This method is more time- and resource-consuming and the saturable nature of films makes signal quantification less precise than with modern imagers. Acquisition of a CCD-camera-based fluorescence platform would also speed up data acquisition dramatically via multiplex immunoblotting, significantly reducing the amount of work required to complete experiments. Furthermore, the use of fluorescent rather than radioactive reagents for experiments that require sensitive detection of nucleic acids would save precious bench space, time and resources as well. Enhanced data collection efficiency and throughput afforded by a new imager would undoubtedly increase the publication outputs and success of all co-applicants in grant competitions. ******To solve these long-standing issues that impede the progress of our research in immunology, genome maintenance, chromatin regulation, plant-microbe interactions and bacterial genetics, we request funding to purchase a Biorad Chemidoc MP platform. This system combines excellent sensitivity and resolution for both chemi/fluo detection and also includes arguably the most elaborate and user-friendly image analysis and quantification software suite amongst all of the leading imaging systems that were tested for this application. The Chemidoc MP system would complement our current instrument base perfectly and provide us with state-of-the-art imaging capabilities, allowing our department to fully transition to CCD-camera-based imaging effectively saving research funds, time and resources while boosting productivity. Acquisition of this system is essential for our research programs and will enable many new projects as well as contribute in a major way to the training of highly qualified personnel from several laboratories in the Biology department and the Faculty of Sciences of our University.**