Urgent replacement of real-time PCR machine

紧急更换实时荧光定量PCR仪

• 批准号: RTI-2023-00026
• 负责人: Schulte, Patricia
• 金额: $ 2.6万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=766140
• 关键词: Urgent; replacement; real; time; PCR

We request funds for the urgent replacement of a real-time PCR machine that is critical to the diverse research programs of the applicants, who are members of the Comparative Animal Physiology group in the Department of Zoology at UBC. Real-time quantitative PCR is the gold standard for the detection and quantification of nucleic acid targets and is a key technique in molecular physiology. The requested real-time PCR machine supports a wide range of applications including quantitative assessment of mRNA, microRNA and non-coding RNA levels in tissues, genotyping of genomic DNA for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and identification of other variations in DNA sequences through high resolution melt-curve analysis. Our current real-time PCR machine, purchased ~10 years ago on a prior NSERC RTI, is now starting to fail and in the last year has required extensive repairs and has been out of service for long periods, which has caused delays in the research programs of the applicants. Replacing this instrument is essential to ensuring continuity in our research programs and the progress of our many trainees. The applicant team represents a mix of emerging and established researchers with balanced gender representation. These teams have an outstanding track record of high impact research, with publications in top tier journals such as Cell, Nature, Molecular Biology and Evolution, Molecular Ecology, and the Proceedings of the Royal Society. Collectively, their work addresses the adaptations of animals to a changing environment across a diverse range of taxa including fishes, insects, and marine invertebrates. Their work relies extensively on real-time PCR, and thus this instrument will be heavily used by the applicants. It will also be made available for use by the broader comparative animal physiology group, which includes more than 10 active research groups, as well as by other users in the Department and from across the UBC campus. Based upon past utilization, this replacement instrument will be used nearly continuously by trainees in multiple groups, with anticipated hands-on usage by at least 100 trainees (including undergraduates, graduate students & post-docs) over the next decade. Training in real-time PCR foundational for development of skills in molecular physiology. Our group has a strong record of success in hands-on training in this area, and has a particular focus on increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion in our training programs. The real-time PCR machine is critical in this respect as the use of real-time PCR is accessible to trainees at all levels, and thus projects using this instrument often provide the critical "first introduction to research" for students from under-represented groups. The skills acquired through this training and through the use of this instrument are highly desirable to a range of employers in academia, industry, government, and the non-profit sector.

我们请求资金紧急更换一台实时聚合酶链式反应机器，这对申请者的多样化研究计划至关重要，他们是不列颠哥伦比亚大学动物系比较动物生理学小组的成员。实时定量聚合酶链式反应是检测和定量核酸靶标的金标准，是分子生理学的一项关键技术。所要求的实时PCR机支持广泛的应用，包括定量评估组织中的mRNA、microRNA和非编码RNA水平，对基因组DNA进行单核苷酸多态(SNPs)的基因分型，以及通过高分辨率熔融曲线分析识别DNA序列的其他变异。我们目前的实时PCR机是大约10年前在以前的NSERC RTI上购买的，现在开始出现故障，在过去的一年里需要进行大量维修，并已长期停止使用，这导致申请者的研究计划延迟。更换这个仪器对于确保我们的研究计划的连续性和我们许多受训人员的进步至关重要。申请者团队代表了新兴和老牌研究人员的组合，性别代表性均衡。这些团队在高影响力研究方面有着出色的记录，在顶级期刊上发表过文章，如《细胞》、《自然》、《分子生物学与进化》、《分子生态学》和《皇家学会学报》。总的来说，他们的工作解决了动物对包括鱼类、昆虫和海洋无脊椎动物在内的各种分类群对不断变化的环境的适应问题。他们的工作在很大程度上依赖于实时聚合酶链式反应，因此这种仪器将被申请者大量使用。它还将提供给更广泛的比较动物生理学小组，该小组包括10多个活跃的研究小组，以及部门和整个不列颠哥伦比亚省校园的其他用户。根据过去的使用情况，这一替代工具将由多个小组的受训人员几乎连续使用，预计未来十年将有至少100名受训人员(包括本科生、研究生和博士后)实际使用。实时聚合酶链式反应培训是发展分子生理学技能的基础。我们的团队在这一领域的实践培训方面取得了很大的成功，并特别注重提高我们培训计划的公平性、多样性和包容性。实时聚合酶链式反应机器在这方面至关重要，因为所有级别的受训人员都可以使用实时聚合酶链式反应，因此，使用该仪器的项目往往为代表不足群体的学生提供关键的“研究入门”。学术界、工业界、政府和非营利部门的一系列雇主都非常希望通过这种培训和使用这一工具获得技能。