RUI: Acquisition of DNA Sequencer, Synthesizer and Spectrophotometer

罗彻斯特理工学院的Lawlor博士获得了一笔研究经费，用于购买三件研究设备：基因分析仪、DNA合成器和二极管阵列分光光度计。这些互补的部分将形成一个设备套件，将促进生物科学和化学系的四名研究人员的研究项目。研究领域多样；它们的范围从类人猿免疫反应分子的分子特征到创造抗细菌的转基因植物。它们还包括细菌酶系统的功能特征，以及密切相关的中美洲鬣蜥物种的定义。免疫反应分子调节自然杀伤细胞的活性，自然杀伤细胞是检测病毒感染细胞的一种淋巴细胞群。转基因植物项目探索了通过增加天然分子的产量来创造植物的可能性，这种分子可以防止细菌寄生虫。苏氨酸脱氢酶是许多细菌重要代谢途径中必不可少的酶，在对其变异形式进行分子表征后，人们将更好地了解苏氨酸脱氢酶的功能。鬣蜥项目旨在枚举墨西哥中部的物种，并确定它们彼此之间的相似程度。这些项目虽然各不相同，但有一个共同的特点，那就是它们都是基础生物学研究项目，能够通过对相关基因进行表征和测序而受益。这套设备将允许进行必要的DNA测序实验，这样就可以测试类人猿是否存在自然杀伤基因。如果存在，可以与人类的发现进行精确的比较。利用重组DNA技术产生的植物转基因需要进行测序，以确保基因的正确构建。没有这种质量控制评估，就不能进行后续的实验。获得的革兰氏阴性菌（大肠杆菌除外）的初步序列信息揭示了苏氨酸脱氢酶核苷酸序列的主要差异。这些差异将通过对不同细菌种类的基因进行测序来完全确定。早些时候对墨西哥的实地考察提供了基因、线粒体和细胞核DNA序列分析所需的样本，这些样本将形成估计物种之间亲缘关系的数据库。虽然DNA测序仪是中心设备项目，但DNA合成器将允许为测序实验生产寡核苷酸，分光光度计是准确估计试剂量所必需的。由于设备提供的能力扩大，这四个项目的科学贡献将得到加强。以前不能进行的实验现在可以在各自的实验室进行。人们期望更好地定义人类和类人猿的自然杀手基因的进化将是一个结果。此外，测试转基因植物在细菌入侵方面优于非转基因植物的假设将是可能的。苏氨酸脱氢酶基因的表征将提供对其功能至关重要的分子区域的见解。最后，对中美洲生物地理的理解将从对该地区土著鬣蜥物种的描述中增加。

Abstract A grant has been awarded to Dr. Lawlor at Rochester Institute of Technology to purchase three pieces of research equipment: a Genetic Analyzer, a DNA synthesizer and a diode array spectrophotometer. These complementary pieces would form an equipment suite that would facilitate the research programs of four investigators in the departments of biological sciences and chemistry. The research areas are diverse; they range from molecular characterization of immune response molecules in the great apes to creation of bacterial-resistant transgenic plants. They also include the functional characterization of bacterial enzyme systems, as well as the definition of closely related Central-American iguana species. The immune response molecules regulate the activity of natural killer cells, a lymphoid cell population instrumental in detecting virus-infected cells. The transgenic plant project explores the possibility of creating plants with increased production of a naturally occurring molecule that protects against bacterial parasites. The function of threonine dehydrogenase, an essential enzyme in a key metabolic pathway for many bacterial species, will be better understood after molecular characterization of its variant forms. The iguana project is intent on enumerating the species central Mexico and determining how similar they are to one another. The projects, although disparate, share the feature that they are basic biological research projects that would benefit by being able to characterize and sequence the relevant genes. The suite of equipment will permit the requisite DNA sequencing experiments so that the apes can be tested for the presence of the natural killer genes. If present, precise comparisons can be made against those found in human. The plant transgene, created using recombinant DNA techniques, needs to be sequenced to insure proper construction of the gene. Without this quality control assessment, subsequent experiments cannot be undertaken. Preliminary sequence information obtained for gram-negative bacteria, other than E. coli, reveals major differences in the nucleotide sequence for threonine dehydrogenase. These differences will be completely defined by sequencing the gene from the various bacterial species. Earlier field trips to Mexico provided the samples required for DNA sequence analysis of genes, mitochondrial and nuclear, that will form the database for estimating relatedness amongst the species. Although the DNA sequencer is the central equipment item, the DNA synthesizer will allow oligonucleotide production for the sequencing experiments and the spectrophotometer is necessary for accurate estimations of reagent amounts. The scientific contributions from the four projects will be enhanced due to the expanded capability provided by the equipment. Experiments that couldn't be undertaken previously can now be performed in the respective laboratories. It is expected that a better definition of the evolution of the natural killer genes in humans and apes will be one result. Also, testing the hypothesis that transgenic plants are superior to non-transgenic plants in regards to bacterial invasion will be possible. The characterization of the threonine dehydrogenase gene will provide insights as to the regions of the molecule critical for its function. Finally, an understanding of the biogeography of mesoamerica will be increased from the description of the iguana species that are indigenous to that area.