Acquisition of Automated DNA Sequencing Instrumentation for Molecular Evolutionary and Systematics Core Laboratory

该补助金支持购买设备，以升级费城自然科学院分子系统和进化（MSE组）的跨学科研究计划。这些收购将加强科学院在分子系统学和人口研究方面的现有研究工作，促进该集团六名分子系统学家的研究计划的发展，并巩固MSE集团在系统学相关培训方面的努力，该培训本身专注于从当地大学吸引学生。MSE的新成员增加了学院分类学专业知识的多样性;他们的实验室将强调MSE组的程序性而不是分类学方向。该小组的所有成员都使用相同的基本研究方法，这些设备将最大限度地提高共享实验室的研究生产力。科学院和邻近大学的科学家和学生参加正在进行的联合项目与科学院将进一步促进这一设施的利用最大化。 自动化DNA测序仪及其辅助支持工具中的采集核心：超低温冷冻机的远程报警系统，自动化热循环仪和成像设备。为了提供一个储存和处理DNA序列数据的中央网站，还将为MSE组提供资金建立一个计算机网络;该网络将与学院现有的服务器网络相结合，并为MSE成员和Interact服务提供无缝访问。 增强的MSE设施将大大改善地区大学学生，特别是德雷克塞尔大学学生目前的教育机会，德雷克塞尔大学培养了大量的少数民族和城市学生。该学院目前正在开发一个正式的计划与德雷克塞尔生物多样性研究，并将很快实施和美国国家科学基金会资助的REU网站奖，将看到进一步的培训学生。该学院提供杰瑟普和麦克亨利奖学金的研究生学习，目前和在不久的将来将看到收件人使用MSE设施。此外，MSE成员已经在系统学方面指导研究生。MSE小组，然后，是并将积极参与培训计划的多样性，利用本科生和研究生招募的研究计划和地区教师，所有这些人都将提供与收藏导向的分子系统学动手研究。MSE小组将作为一个团队，在现代分子系统学的理论和实践中培训学生和其他用户。

This grant supports the acquisition of equipment to upgrade a cross-disciplinary research program in Molecular Systematic and Evolution (the MSE group) at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. These acquisitions will enhance existing research efforts in molecular systematics and population studies at the Academy, facilitate development of the research programs of the group's six molecular systematists and under pin the MSE group 's efforts in systematics-related training, which is itself focused on a student pool drawn from local universities. The MSE's newer members increase the diversity of the taxonomic expertise at the Academy; their laboratories will emphasize the programmatic rather than taxonomic orientation of the MSE group. The same basic research methods are used by all members of the group, and the equipment will maximize research productivity of the shared laboratories. Scientists and students from the Academy and neighboring universities participating in on-going joint programs with the Academy will further contribute to this maximization of the use of the facilities. The centerpiece of the acquisitions in an automated DNA sequencer with its auxiliary support tools: remote alarm system for an ultra-cold freezer, automated thermocyclers and imaging equipment. In order to provide a central site for storage and manipulation of DNA sequence data, funding will also establish a computer network for the MSE group; this network will be integrated within the Academy' s existing network of servers and provide seamless access among MSE members and to Interact services. The enhanced MSE facilities will significantly improve current educational opportunities for students from area universities, and in particular those from Drexel University, which trains significant populations of minority and urban students. The Academy is currently developing a formal program with Drexel for biodiversity studies and will soon be implementing and NSF- funded REU Site award that will see further training of students. The Academy offers Jessup and McHenry Fellowships for graduate study that currently and in the near future will see recipients using the MSE facilities. Also MSE members are already supervising graduate students in systematics. The MSE group, then, is and will be actively involved in a diversity of training programs using undergraduate and graduate students recruited for research programs and area faculty, all of whom will be provided with hands-on research in collections- oriented molecular systematics. The MSE group will act as a team to train students and other users of the facility in the theory and practice of modern molecular systematics.