Acquisition of an HPLC System for Undergraduate Research in Insect Chemical Defense

国王学院的Yezerski博士获得了一笔赠款，用于购买一个高效液相色谱系统，用于研究面粉甲虫Tribolium confusum的化学防御系统。两个直接的项目已经设计，以解决这些防御的功能和生产效果的问题。 一个项目将解决苯醌化合物对同种的影响，因为这些化合物已知会导致甲虫本身死亡。 该实验将使用来自相同品系的代表将甲虫的一系列重组近交系中的化学生产水平与存活水平相关联。 使用HPLC设备，可以测量生产线内单个苯醌生产的平均水平，并将这些值与生产线的标准LD 50测试结果进行比较，当代表被放置在没有吸收材料保护它们免受其自身排泄物影响的环境中时 目前和未来的实验，使用HPLC将解决化学防御性状与其他行为和物理因素，包括体重，角质层颜色和繁殖力的相关性。 其他计划中的研究将测量天然面粉甲虫种群中的苯醌水平，以评估自然环境赋予的进化压力。 这些信息不仅有助于阐明一个复杂的防御系统是如何进化的，而且有助于启发我们如何更好地控制这种储粮产品害虫。 此外，HPLC系统的用途远远超出了甲虫分泌物的测量。 由于整个学院只有一台过时的HPLC，因此收购这台额外的现代化系统将允许生物学和化学领域的其他本科生研究项目利用这台高度利用的设备。 通过使用现代设备进行有意义的研究，其中有一个有能力的研究人员的需求，在国王学院的本科生可以有机会做好准备，无论他们努力达到职业目标，无论这些是在行业或进一步的教育。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Yezerski at King's College to acquire an High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system with which to study the chemical defense system of the flour beetle, Tribolium confusum . Two immediate projects have been designed to address the questions of function and effect of the production of these defenses. One project will address the effect benzoquinone compounds have on conspecifics since these compounds are known to cause death to the beetles themselves. This experiment will correlate levels of chemical production in a series of recombinant inbred lines of beetles with levels of survival using representatives from the same lines. Using the HPLC equipment, a mean level of individual benzoquinone production within a line can be measured and these values compared to the results of standard LD50 tests for the lines when representatives are placed in an environment where no absorbent material protects them from their own excretions Current and future experiments using the HPLC will address correlations of the chemical defense trait with other behavioral and physical factors including body weight, cuticle color, and fecundity. Other planned research will measure the levels of benzoquinones in natural flour beetle populations in order to assess the evolutionary pressures conferred by natural environments. Such resulting information can not only help elucidate how a complex defense system arises evolutionarily but also help enlighten us on how this stored grain product pest can be better controlled. Additionally, the HPLC system has uses far beyond the measurement of beetle exudates. With only one other antiquated HPLC available for the entire college, the acquisition of this additional modern system will allow for other undergraduate research projects in both biology and chemistry that utilizes this highly utilized piece of equipment. By conducting meaningful research using modern equipment in which there is a demand for competent researchers, undergraduates at King's College can have the opportunity to be well prepared for whatever career goals they strive to reach whether these be in industry or further schooling.