Automated Molecular Anthropological Analysis

在国家科学基金会的支持下，托德·迪索特尔博士和他的同事们将购买一台ABI PRISM 310遗传分析仪。该仪器是一种用于测定核酸大小、测序和定量的自动化系统。该设备将核酸的多色荧光标记与毛细管电泳法相结合，以确定DNA分子的大小和数量。使用这项技术测量DNA的两个优点包括使用毛细管中的聚合物而不是凝胶，以及使用荧光染料而不是放射性同位素进行可视化。当用于测序时，该仪器的日产量高达4200个DNA碱基，并且是完全自动化的，因此一旦样品准备好，就可以自动加载、运行和分析，而无需额外的用户输入。与需要持续监控的手动技术相比，这是一个巨大的优势。这项研究的目的是了解高等灵长类物种进化的过程，该仪器将用于从选定的灵长类物种中对大量个体的多个基因座进行测序。特别是，研究人员将把重点放在近亲关系密切的脑猿(古翁、猕猴、山竹和山竹)以及在杂交区域进行杂交的两种狒狒上。该项目特别有趣，因为它关注的是刚刚处于进化分离边缘的物种，因此这项工作将有助于阐明建立种间障碍的行为和生物机制。从理论上讲，该项目介于种群遗传学和分类学分析之间，并整合了这两个领域的概念。收购这台仪器将加快迪索特尔博士实验室的研究，并产生许多生物学家和社会科学家感兴趣的数据。它还将协助培训纽约大学和其他纽约市大学人类学和生物系的学生。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Todd Disotell and his colleagues will purchase an ABI PRISM 310 Genetic Analyzer. This instrument is an automated system used for the sizing, sequencing and quantification of nucleic acids. The device integrates multicolor fluorescent labeling of nucleic acids with capillary electrophoresis to size and quantitate DNA molecules. Two of the advantages of using this technology to measure DNA include the use of polymers in capillary tubes rather than gels and the use of fluorescent dyes rather than radioactive isotopes for visualization. The instrument has a daily throughput of up to 4200 DNA bases when used for sequencing and is fully automated, so that once samples are prepared they are automatically loaded, run and analyzed without additional user input. This is a great advantage over manual techniques that need to be continuously monitored. The goal of the research is to understand the processes involved in the evolution of higher primate species and the instrument will be used to sequence multiple loci from large numbers of individuals from select primate species. In particular the researchers will focus on closely related Cercopithecines (guenons, macaques, mangabeys and mandrills) and on two species of baboons which interbreed in a hybrid zone. The project is especially interesting because it focuses on species that are just on the cusp of evolutionary separation and therefore the work will shed light on both the behavioral and biological mechanisms which serve to establish interspecific barriers. Intellectually the project falls at the borderline between population genetics and taxonomic analysis and serves to integrate concepts from both areas. Acquisition of this instrument will speed research in Dr. Disotell's lab and generate data of interest to many biologists and social scientists. It will also assist in the training of students in the NYU and other New York City university anthropology and biology departments.