MRI: Acquisition of an automated sequencer for research, training and education at Tulane University and partner institutions

该主要研究仪器奖资助购买高通量毛细管测序仪和相关仪器，以加强杜兰大学和新奥尔良大都会地区合作机构的研究和教育计划。仪器将建立在大学和部门的战略投资和重大调整，以支持环境研究和教育举措。通过为获取和分析基因座特异性、多个体DNA序列数据和多基因座基因型数据提供经济高效的高通量能力，该仪器将极大地扩展大学教职员工和学生可用的共享使用基因组学基础设施。因此，该仪器将满足不断扩大的研究和培训计划的需求，强调使用分子技术来解决生态学、进化生物学和相关环境科学学科中的问题。获得高通量DNA测序仪和配套仪器将为杜兰大学和HBCU合作机构（泽维尔大学，迪拉德大学，新奥尔良南方大学）以及为大量少数民族提供服务的机构（新奥尔良大学）的竞争性资助研究项目提供服务。要获取的仪器包括一个ABI3730xl DNA分析仪，带有计算机控制系统和一个法兰克FT1-B3730X-DA不间断电源。该仪器将支持一个迅速扩大的用户群体，包括从事下列主题研究的核心用户：淡水鱼和新热带鸟类的分子系统发育、植物-动物相互作用的进化生态学、物种形成遗传学、污染物的微生物修复和环境评估遗传方法的发展。随时获得高通量能力将加快杜兰大学及其合作机构的研究和培训的速度和规模，这将立即增加能够从事前沿研究的教师和研究人员的数量。通过帮助连接学科研究项目，特别是生物医学和环境科学方面的项目，它将支持在新奥尔良建立国家研究中心的大学范围和跨大学倡议。扩大的能力还将扩大STEM领域的课堂和指导研究培训的机会，包括nsf资助的旨在促进未被充分代表群体参与环境生物学的项目。

This Major Research Instrumentation award funds the acquisition of a high-throughput capillary sequencer and related instrumentation to enhance research and educational programs at Tulane University and partner institutions in the greater New Orleans metropolitan area. The instrumentation will build on university and departmental strategic investments and major realignments in support of environmental research and educational initiatives. By providing cost effective high-throughput capacity for acquisition and analysis of locus-specific, multi-individual DNA sequence data and multilocus genotype data, the instrumentation will greatly expand shared-use genomics infrastructure available to university faculty, staff and students. The instrumentation will therefore meet steadily growing demands from expanding research and training programs emphasizing use of molecular techniques to address questions in ecology, evolutionary biology, and related environmental science disciplines.Acquisition of a high-throughput DNA sequencer and supporting instrumentation will serve competitively funded research programs at Tulane University and partner HBCU institutions (Xavier University, Dillard University, Southern University at New Orleans) and institutions serving large minority populations (University of New Orleans). The instrumentation to be acquired includes an ABI3730xl DNA Analyzer with a computer control system and a Franek FT1-B3730X-DA uninterruptible power supply. This instrumentation will support a rapidly expanding user community, including core users undertaking studies on topics such as molecular phylogenetics of freshwater fish and Neotropical birds, the evolutionary ecology of plant-animal interactions, speciation genetics, microbial remediation of contaminants, and the development of genetic methods for environmental assessment.Ready access to high-throughput capacity will accelerate the pace and scale of research and training at Tulane and partner institutions, which will immediately increase the number of faculty and investigators able to pursue leading-edge research. By helping bridge disciplinary research programs, particularly those in the biomedical and environmental sciences, it will support university-wide and cross-university initiatives to establish national research centers in New Orleans. Expanded capacity also will broaden opportunities for classroom and mentored research training in STEM fields, including NSF-funded programs intended to advance participation of underrepresented groups in environmental biology.