Acquisition of a Fluorescence and Chemiluminescence Imaging Platform

多年来，美国国家科学研究委员会资助的至少11名来自舍布鲁克大学生物系的pi和他们的80名实习生和工作人员的研究项目，由于缺乏一个敏感的、容易获得的化学发光和荧光成像平台，进展相当缓慢。这种仪器对于几乎所有分子/细胞生物学和微生物学研究项目都是绝对必要的，因为它可以检测和定量蛋白质、核酸和多种类型的荧光团。******尽管这个至关重要，生物系目前配备了一个过时的化学发光成像仪，不能检测荧光，灵敏度水平远低于目前的系统。现状意味着我们无法使用这种过时的仪器检测到生物信号的重要部分。由于该系统是唯一可用于bbb20组的化学发光仪器，因此它被持续使用，迫使我们几乎四分之一的实验室依靠薄膜进行免疫印迹，这是学员最常见的实验之一。这种方法耗费时间和资源，并且胶片的饱和特性使得信号量化不如现代成像仪精确。获取基于ccd相机的荧光平台也将通过多重免疫印迹大大加快数据采集速度，大大减少完成实验所需的工作量。此外，在需要对核酸进行灵敏检测的实验中，使用荧光试剂而不是放射性试剂，也将节省宝贵的实验空间、时间和资源。新的成像仪提高了数据收集的效率和吞吐量，无疑会增加出版物的产出，并使所有共同申请人在资助竞争中取得成功。******为了解决这些长期以来阻碍我们在免疫学、基因组维持、染色质调控、植物-微生物相互作用和细菌遗传学方面研究进展的问题，我们请求资助购买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，并且还包括所有领先的成像系统中最精细和用户友好的图像分析和定量软件套件，用于该应用程序的测试。Chemidoc MP系统将完美补充我们现有的仪器基础，并为我们提供最先进的成像能力，使我们的部门完全过渡到基于ccd相机的成像，有效地节省了研究资金、时间和资源，同时提高了生产力。该系统的获得对我们的研究项目至关重要，将使许多新项目成为可能，并为培养我校生物系和理学院几个实验室的高素质人才做出重大贡献

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 ******Despite this critical importance, the Biology department is currently equipped with a single outdated chemiluminescence imager that cannot detect fluorescence and has a sensitivity level well below that achieved by current systems.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.**