Acquisition of a Protein Microsequenator

建议的仪器是一种最先进的蛋白质测序系统。ABI 494“Procise”仪器的一大优势是其灵敏度大大提高，允许对飞摩尔数量的样品进行可靠和广泛的序列分配。其他优点是能够运行多达四个样本，并通过直观的Macintosh界面操作仪器，从而为将其用作便捷的研究和教学工具提供了潜力。该仪器将促进自然与农业科学学院和加州大学河滨分校农业实验站每个系教职员工的研究目标(参见下面对教职员工研究项目的描述)。UCR生物技术仪器设施的现有仪器是10年前购买的，由于备件稀缺以及制造商不再提供维护服务，因此很难保持运行。使用测序仪的研究人员从事各种研究课题，包括蛋白激酶、离子通道毒素、发育激素、受精蛋白、致病细菌蛋白、多胺转运体和细胞因子的表征。购买这种仪器的第二个动机是学院承诺提供一种手段，培训学生掌握当前的蛋白质分析技术。正如最近的事件所表明的那样，在医疗技术、农业和法医领域，受过适当培训的人员的机会越来越多。UCR有机会提供课程和推广计划，将这项技术带给学生群体。就读于我们学院的学生理应得到尽可能好的培训，这一工具将为我们的毕业生提供接触最新技术的途径，并因此在他们的就业寻找中获得优势。

The proposed instrumentation is-a state of the art protein sequencing system. A major advantage of the ABI 494 "Procise" instrument is its greatly increased sensitivity, allowing for reliable and extensive sequence assignments to be made on femtomole quantity samples. Additional advantages are the capability of running up to four samples, and operation of the instrument through an intuitive Macintosh interface, thus providing the potential for its use as a facile research and teaching tool. The instrument will facilitate the research objectives of faculty members in every department in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Agricultural Experiment Station at U. C. Riverside (see descriptions of faculty research programs below). The existing instrument at the UCR Biotechnology Instrumentation Facility was purchased 10 years ago, and is very difficult to maintain operational because of scarcity of spare parts and by the fact that the manufacturer no longer offers maintenance services. Investigators using the sequencer are engaged in a variety of research topic, including the characterization of protein kinases, ion channel toxins, developmental hormones, fertilization proteins, pathogenic bacterial proteins, polyamine transporters, and cytokines. A second motivation for acquisition of this instrument is the commitment on the part of College to provide a means of training students in current technologies of protein analysis. As recent events have illustrated, opportunities for appropriately trained personnel are becoming increasingly available in areas of medical technology, agriculture, and forensics. UCR has the opportunity to provide courses and outreach programs that would bring this technology to the student population. Students attending our institution deserve the best training possible, and this instrument will provide our graduates with access to current technology and a consequent advantage in their employment searches.