Aquisition of a Protein Fractionation System for Research and Education

在菲利普·丹尼尔森博士的指导下，丹佛大学获得了一笔赠款，用于部分支持购买蛋白质分级系统。从复杂蛋白质组中准确地分离、量化、回收和表征单个蛋白质的能力对于生物学研究和教育的发展和成功越来越重要。直到最近，整个蛋白质组的分析一直严重依赖于基于二维凝胶电泳(2DGE)的方法。这种方法需要费力地筛选薄层凝胶上成百上千个已分解的“斑点”。即使是一小部分感兴趣的蛋白质的鉴定，也可能需要几周到几个月的时间才能完成。这些更传统的方法有几个严重的缺点。2DGE对小肽激素和较大的膜相关蛋白的分辨率很差，这是许多研究人员计划的重点。此外，2DGE产生的结果往往难以量化或重现。蛋白质分离系统为基于二维凝胶电泳法的蛋白质组学研究的传统局限性提供了一种经济有效的解决方案。来自困难样本的测试数据证实了该系统的性能和适用性，满足了我们的研究需要。将立即受益的具体研究项目包括由NSF资助的关于参与管理生殖应激的神经肽激素的翻译后处理和修饰的研究，以及旨在阐明哺乳动物摄食行为的潜在神经内分泌机制的蛋白质组研究。其他研究包括哺乳动物味觉细胞的分子神经生物学、神经内分泌分泌小泡的回收以及错误折叠蛋白质的降解。最后，蛋白质分离系统将促进与丹佛植物园合作开展的分子生态学和保护生物学方面的合作研究。除了丹佛大学基础研究的好处外，一系列以实验室和课堂为导向的教育目标将在本科生和研究生水平上得到提升。在以分子为导向的实验室课程中，好处将特别明显，这些课程是分子生物学理学士和文学士学位的核心。在更广泛的层面上，通过提供最现代的蛋白质组分析方法之一的第一手经验，部门为高中生提供的生物技术课程和教师培训讲习班也将得到极大的加强，以促进中学一级的实践科学教育。鉴于这些计划的对象是城市和低收入学区的学生，而这些学生在自然科学领域的代表性一直较低，高中推广工作的好处将是不可估量的。最重要的是，让大学预科学生接触到现代技术将对学生将科学作为职业的热情产生重大而积极的影响。

A grant has been awarded to the University of Denver under the direction of Dr. Phillip Danielson for partial support of the purchase of a Protein Fractionation System. The accurate fractionation, quantization, recovery and characterization of individual proteins from complex proteomes are capabilities that are increasingly essential to the growth and success of biological research and education. Until recently, the analysis of whole proteomes has been heavily dependent on 2-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis (2DGE)-based approaches. This approach required the laborious screening of hundreds to thousands of resolved "spots" on thin gels. The identification of even a small number of proteins of interest, can require weeks to months to complete. These more traditional methods have several critical shortcomings. 2DGE provides poor resolution of the small peptide hormones and larger membrane-associated proteins that are the focus of many of researchers programs. Furthermore, 2DGE yields results that are often difficult to quantify or reproduce. The Protein Fractionation System provides a cost-effective solution to the traditional limitations of 2DGE-based proteomic research. Test data from difficult samples have confirmed the performance and applicability of the system for our research needs. Specific research programs that will benefit immediately include NSF-funded studies of the posttranslational processing and modification of neuropeptide hormones involved in the management of reproductive stress and proteomic research aimed at elucidating the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms of mammalian feeding behavior. Other studies are examining the molecular neurobiology of mammalian taste cells, the recycling of neuroendocrine secretory vesicles and the degradation of misfolded proteins. Finally the Protein Fractionation system will advance collaborative research in molecular ecology and conservation biology conducted in collaboration with the Denver Botanical Gardens. Beyond the benefit to basic research at the University of Denver, a broad range of laboratory and classroom-oriented educational goals will be advanced at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Benefits will be particularly evident in the molecular-oriented laboratory courses that are at the heart of the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Molecular Biology. On a broader level, department-sponsored biotechnology classes offered to high school students and teacher-training workshops that promote hands-on science education at the secondary school level will also be greatly enhanced by providing first-hand experience in one of the most modern methods of proteomic analysis. The benefit to high school outreach efforts will be immeasurable given that these programs target students in urban and low-income school districts who have traditionally been underrepresented in the natural sciences. Most importantly, exposing pre-college students to modern technologies will have a significant and positive impact on student excitement about science as a career.