High capacity protein expression and production incubators

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My group uses structural biology, biochemistry and bioinformatics approaches to investigate how the shikimate pathway and closely related metabolic pathways drive functional diversity in plants and microbes. The shikimate pathway allows organisms to adapt to environmental conditions for their growth and development. The pathway produces chorismate, a precursor for aromatic compounds including isoflavonoids, phenylpropanoids, lignin, chlorogenic acids, hormones etc. These compounds have important roles in biotechnological applications. Phenylpropanoids, isoflavonoids, and chlorogenic acids have powerful antioxidant properties with attractive nutritional benefits. The shikimate pathway is absent in animals but is essential in plants and microbes which provides important enzyme targets for the development of antimicrobials and herbicides. Therefore, there is tremendous interest in studying proteins from this pathway. We are requesting funding to purchase two refrigerated stackable high-capacity incubator shakers, model Innova S44i, ref 120V. These stackable incubators shakers are being requested to replace our old and broken incubator shakers. Our research depends on refrigerated shakers to conduct protein expression analysis and recombinant protein production. Specifically, our NSERC-DG funded research focuses on protein structural biology and protein biochemistry which makes purified proteins the most valuable currency in our studies. Therefore, the ability to advance our research program directly depends on having reliable refrigerated incubator shakers. Protein expression analysis are almost exclusively conducted at lower temperatures, between 16 ?C and 18 ?C. We found that this temperature range slows down the protein translation machinery and thus protein production, which allows sufficient time for proteins to independently fold without forming inclusion bodies. We initially had two refrigerated incubator shakers, one was designated for protein expression analysis and the other for protein preparation and they have been used for more than 20 years by my research group and other plant and microbial research labs in the Department of Cell and Systems Biology. However, both incubators stopped working during the pandemic. Quite fortunately we were able to salvage parts from one incubator to repair the other. As a result, our research activity has been impacted because only one of our refrigerated incubator shakers is functioning and it is highly unreliable and urgently needed to be replaced. If we are unable to replace these refrigerated incubator shakers my NSERC-DG funded research program and HQPs training in my research lab will be further delayed since all aspect of my research depends on our ability to successfully obtain recombinant proteins.