Acquisition of a DNA Microarray Printer and Scanner

在丽莎·贝恩博士的指导下，德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校获得了一笔赠款，用于支持仪器设备，以确定各种生物体中因应不同生态和生理变量而改变的基因表达。了解哪些基因发生了变化，有助于更好地描述对生殖、生长和发育等生物功能的影响，以及这些变化最终将如何影响有机体、种群或整个群落。所要求的设备包括一台自动微阵列仪和一台阵列读取器/扫描器，以及分析软件。虽然存在商业上可用的人类或老鼠基因微阵列，但这些类型的阵列在替代模式物种中不可用，包括许多微生物、鱼和蛇，以及用于定向应用的基因，如神经生物学。因此，在定制构建和分析这些类型的微阵列时，需要一个微阵列观察器和读取器。拟议设备的使用将包括生物信息学课程的培训和生态学、微生物学、生理学、内分泌学和神经生物学的研究。例如，使用定制阵列并与欧洲的Genipol项目合作，试图查明两种河口鱼类的渗透调节和对其他环境压力的适应机制的研究。正在对响尾蛇毒素和其他毒素进行研究，以了解蛇毒毒素组成如何反映进化物种的分布。其他研究人员正在与原生生物贾第鞭毛虫的基因组项目合作，研究另一种微生物枯草芽孢杆菌如何控制产孢量，以及哪些基因赋予分枝杆菌和肠道出血性大肠杆菌O157：H7耐氯性。在内分泌学和神经生物学方面，几位研究人员正在研究雌激素和雌激素受体拮抗剂暴露后乳腺基因表达的变化。此外，几名合作研究人员正在开发统计方法，以确定最能区分不同群体的基因，以及开发生物信息学课程，更多地动手强调后基因组分析中的微阵列方法。得克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校是一所为少数族裔服务的机构，约有18,500名学生(包括3,500名研究生)，其中75%是西班牙裔。由于少数族裔学生的比例很高，而且它位于美墨边境，UTEP在拉美裔科学家的教育和培训方面是全国领先的。这笔补助金的支持将用于培训一些博士后助理、研究生和本科生使用仪器进行研究。动手训练将专门在我们的后基因组分析课上进行，学生自始至终进行完整的动手阵列实验，而另外两节课将利用已经扫描的阵列，执行数据集的统计分析和解释。通过使用这种最先进的仪器，UTEP将培养出训练有素的学生，能够服务于该地区和国家的科学需求。

A grant has been awarded to the University of Texas at El Paso, under the direction of Dr. Lisa Bain, for support of instrumentation to determine altered gene expression in a variety of organisms in response to different ecological and physiological variables. Understanding what genes are changed helps to better characterize effects on organismal functions such as reproduction, growth, and development, and how these alterations will ultimately affect the organism, population, or community as a whole. The equipment requested includes an automated microarrayer and an array reader/scanner, plus the analysis software. While commercially available microarrays for human or mouse genes exist, these types of arrays are not available in alternative model species, including many microorganisms, fish, and snakes, as well as genes for targeted applications, such as neurobiology. Therefore, a microarray spotter and reader are necessary for the custom construction and analysis of these types of microarrays.Uses of the proposed equipment would include training in bioinformatics courses and research in ecology, microbiology, physiology, endocrinology, and neurobiology. For example, studies attempting to discern the mechanisms of osmoregulation and adaptation to other environmental pressures in two estuarine fish species, using both custom-made arrays and in collaboration with the Genipol project in Europe. Rattlesnake venom and other toxins are being investigated to how understand how snake venom toxin composition may reflect evolutionary species distribution. Other investigators are collaborating on the genome project for the protist Giardia, examining how a different microorganism, Bacillus subtilis, controls sporulation, and what genes confer chlorine resistance to mycobacteria and enterohemoragic E. coli O157:H7. In terms of endocrinology and neurobiology, several investigators are examining gene expression changes in mammary glands following exposure estradiol and estrogen receptor antagonists. In addition, several of the co-investigators are developing statistical methodology for identifying genes that best discriminate the different groups among individual, as well as developing a curriculum in bioinformatics with more hands-on emphasis on microarray methods in post-genomic analysis. The University of Texas at El Paso is a minority-serving institution for approximately 18,500 students (including 3,500 graduate students), of which 75% are of Hispanic descent. Because of the high percentage of minority students and its location on the US-Mexico border, UTEP is a national leader in the education and training of Hispanic scientists. Support of this grant will be used to train a number of post-doctoral associates, graduate students, and undergraduate students on research using the instrumentation. Hand-on training will occur specifically in our Post-Genomic Analysis class, with the students conducting a complete, hands-on array experiment from start to finish, while two other classes will make use of already scanned arrays, performing statistical analysis and interpretation of data sets. With access to this state-of-the-art instrumentation, UTEP will produce well-trained students capable of serving the science needs of the region and the nation.