Cutting-edge robotics for microbial high-throughput applications

这是一个最先进的机器人工作站的要求，以实现大规模的功能基因组和小分子微生物筛选研究。机器人技术对于微生物过程的系统级理解是绝对必要的，它提供了快速分析大型微生物菌株集合和化学文库的能力。标准普尔机器人BM6仪器急需支持三个创新研究项目（考克斯，夏皮罗和惠特菲尔德）；缺乏现成的机器人技术已经严重限制了申请人在这一领域的研究范围。为了保持国内和国际竞争力，并为HQP提供最高水平的培训，申请人获得这些设备至关重要。这样的访问将极大地扩大他们的研究范围，确保HQP能够解决高影响和创新的研究问题。申请人研究的一个共同主题是微生物遗传相互作用的系统级分析，功能基因组学以及细菌和真菌中的小分子筛选。Cox博士使用高通量基因组学和化学方法来探测复杂的微生物系统。所要求的基础设施将使外排泵生理功能的系统级调查、化学遗传学研究和微生物转座子文库的快速分析成为可能。夏皮罗博士的研究项目旨在了解真菌复杂生物表型的遗传相互作用网络。自动化将把夏皮罗博士的基因相互作用筛选扩展到全基因组水平，这只能通过所描述的自动化来完成。Whitfield博士的研究旨在了解细菌中复杂细胞表面碳水化合物的组装和输出机制；该仪器用于检测大型细菌缺失文库中的形态学和细胞生长参数的高通量分析，以及细菌基因缺失的成对组合的系统生成。目前，圭尔夫大学完全缺乏进行高通量微生物研究的能力。缺乏对该仪器的本地访问严重阻碍了申请人的研究，并限制了HQP的培训机会，这些HQP仅限于明显较低的通量方法，这些方法容易出错，或者通勤到其他机构使用严重依赖类似基础设施的方法。因此，所要求的基础设施将为HQP提供关键的培训机会，这一要求代表了一个令人兴奋的机会，可以在圭尔夫大学实现和推进尖端的高通量微生物研究。

This is a request for a state-of-the-art robotic workstation to enable large-scale functional genomic and small-molecule microbial screening studies. Robotics are absolutely essential for a systems-level understanding of microbial processes, providing the ability to rapidly profile large microbial strain collections and chemical libraries. The S&P Robotics BM6 instrument is urgently needed to support three innovative research programs (Cox, Shapiro & Whitfield); the lack of ready access to robotics has severely limited the scope of the applicants' research in this field. To remain nationally and internationally competitive, and to provide the highest level of training to HQP, it is essential that the applicants acquire this equipment. Such access will vastly expand the scope of their research, ensuring HQP can address high-impact and innovative research questions. A common theme of the applicants' research is the systems-level analysis of microbial genetic interactions, functional genomics, and small-molecule screening in bacteria and fungi. Dr. Cox uses high-throughput genomic and chemical approaches to probe complex microbial systems. The requested infrastructure will enable the systems-level investigation of the physiological functions of efflux pumps, chemical-genetic studies, and the rapid profiling of microbial transposon libraries. Dr. Shapiro's research program aims to understand the genetic interaction networks underpinning complex biological phenotypes in fungi. Automation will expand Dr. Shapiro's genetic interaction screens to a genome-wide level, which can only be accomplished with the described automation. Dr. Whitfield's research aims to understand the mechanisms involved in the assembly and export of complex cell surface carbohydrates in bacteria; the instrument is required for high-throughput assays to examine morphological and cell growth parameters in large bacterial deletion libraries, and the systematic generation of pairwise combinations of bacterial gene deletions. Currently, there is a complete lack of capacity for high-throughput microbial studies at the U. of Guelph. Lack of local access to this instrument has significantly impeded the applicants' research and limited training opportunities for HQP who are restricted to significantly lower-throughput methods, which are vulnerable to errors, or commuting to other institutions to access heavily relied upon similar infrastructure. The requested infrastructure will therefore provide a pivotal training opportunity for HQP and this request represents an exciting opportunity to enable and advance cutting-edge high-throughput microbial studies at the U. of Guelph.