Ultracentrifugation system for purification of synthetic biology constructs

超离心机是实验室基础设施的重要组成部分，可以根据密度的微小差异纯化和分离细胞成分。生物医学工程学院（SBME）的许多实验室常规使用超离心浓缩和纯化核酸、蛋白质、亚细胞成分和病毒。特别是，我们的实验室使用超离心纯化基因传递载体，如质粒和慢病毒，用于哺乳动物合成遗传装置的转基因。最近在SBME拥有基因工程和合成生物学专业知识的研究实验室数量的增加导致我们对超离心的需求超出了我们现有超离心装置的能力。此外，现有设备已接近使用寿命，一旦出现故障，我们将别无选择。因此，我们迫切需要一种新的超离心机，以避免对我们的工作造成重大和不必要的延误，并降低我们的研究质量。所要求的超离心机将满足我们的研究小组和SBME日益增长的需求，同时为我们的HQP提供一个学习如何操作重要设备的机会。由于SBME内部的所有人都可以使用它，因此该超离心机将支持许多HQP的研究和培训：大约43个HQP计划使用该超离心机，其中包括申请人实验室中的17个HQP。除了许多其他应用之外，超离心是现代哺乳动物转基因的关键一步，为我们的HQP提供了发展未来工业和研究职业所需技能的机会。随着加拿大生物技术部门的发展，尤其是基因和细胞疗法的发展，浓缩和纯化细胞成分的能力是HQP的一项关键技能。

Ultracentrifuges are vital pieces of laboratory infrastructure that enable purification and isolation of cellular components based on minute differences in their density. Many of the labs in the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) routinely use ultracentrifugation to concentrate and purify nucleic acids, proteins, subcellular components, and viruses. In particular, our labs use ultracentrifugation in purifying gene delivery vehicles, such as plasmids and lentivirus, for mammalian transgenesis of synthetic genetic devices. The recent increase in the number of research labs with genetic engineering and synthetic biology expertise in the SBME has resulted in our need for ultracentrifugation outstripping the capabilities of our existing ultracentrifuge setup. Further, the existing unit is nearing the end of its life and we will be left with no alternative when it fails. Accordingly, we have an urgent need for a new ultracentrifuge to avoid significant and unnecessary delays to our work and degradation of the quality of our research. The requested ultracentrifuge will meet the growing needs of our research groups and the SBME, while providing an opportunity for our HQP to learn how to operate a vital piece of equipment. Since all within SBME will have access to it, this ultracentrifuge will support the research and training of many HQP: approximately 43 HQP have plans to use this ultracentrifuge, including 17 HQP in the labs of the applicants. In addition to numerous other applications, ultracentrifugation is a key step in modern mammalian transgenics, providing our HQP with the opportunity to develop skills in demand for future careers in industry and research. With the growing biotechnology sector in Canada, and gene and cell therapies in particular, the ability to concentrate and purify cellular components is a critical skill for HQP.