MRI: Acquisition of a Next-Generation Sequencer for Biological Research at a Hispanic Serving Institution in South Texas

得克萨斯大学泛美分校是一家位于南得克萨斯州的拉美裔服务机构，该机构被授予获得下一代DNA测序仪的奖项，以促进和促进生物研究。下一代测序是指比传统的桑格DNA测序方法更快、更可靠的DNA测序技术和分析。下一代测序允许数千到数十亿个短测序反应同时发生，并产生大量序列数据。研究团队将包括来自互补生物学学科的不同教师群体(终身教职和终身教职)，他们将把下一代测序纳入他们的研究，以解决微生物学、植物科学、动物学、遗传学、生理学、生态学等方面的重大生物学问题，并在实验室课程中用于教育目的。实例项目包括：(1)以基因组学为基础的微生物砷解毒途径的进化研究；(2)植物病原体的比较基因组学；(3)热带牵牛花和新大陆牵牛花的植物系统研究；(4)植物对环境压力的反应的转录组学分析；(5)沙蟹的物种形成和系统发育研究；(6)昆虫的发育基因组学；(7)作为恰加斯病媒介的昆虫的物种分布研究；(8)高年级生物学课程的课堂项目。项目的广度，以及未来的项目和合作，将促进和扩大系和大学的研究和教育能力。研究人员和研究生将直接使用该仪器；因此，由于用户能够直接访问该技术，研究和学习将受到积极影响。获得下一代测序仪将使UTPA的研究人员、他们的西班牙裔学生以及附近机构的合作者能够进行目前他们无法获得的尖端研究。下一代测序仪将允许教师导师培训新的学生研究人员，并在高级生物学课程中使用这项技术。这不仅有可能改变德克萨斯大学泛美分校的研究和教育，而且还可能改变整个南得克萨斯州地区的研究和教育。研究小组包括四名女性，其中一名是西班牙裔，一名残疾。下一代测序仪将增加在南得克萨斯州和美国进行生物研究的拉美裔、妇女和残疾人的数量。

An award is made to the University of Texas Pan American, a Hispanic Serving Institution in South Texas, to acquire a next-generation DNA sequencer to advance and promote biological research. Next-generation sequencing refers to DNA sequencing techniques and analyses that are faster and more robust than the traditional Sanger Method for sequencing DNA. Next-generation sequencing allows for thousands to billions of short sequencing reactions to occur simultaneously and large amounts of sequence data to be generated. The research team will include a diverse group of faculty (tenured and tenure-track) from complementary biological disciplines that will incorporate next-generation sequencing into their research to address major biological questions in microbiology, plant science, zoology, genetics, physiology, ecology, and for educational purposes in laboratory classes. Example projects include: (i) Genomics-based evolutionary studies of microbial arsenic detoxification pathways; (ii) Comparative genomics of plant pathogens; (iii) Plant systematic studies of Tropical and New World morning glories; (iv) Transcriptome analyses of plant responses to environmental stressors; (v) Speciation and phylogenetic studies of sand crabs; (vi) Developmental genomics of insects; (vii) Species distribution studies of insect that serves as vectors for Chagas Disease; and (viii) Classroom-based projects in upper-division Biology courses. The breadth of projects, along with future projects and collaborations, will advance and expand the department's and university's research and education capabilities. Researchers and research students will use the instrument directly; thus, research and learning will be positively impacted due to the ability of users to directly access the technology. Acquiring a next-generation sequencer will allow researchers at UTPA, their Hispanic students, and collaborators at nearby institutions to perform cutting-edge research that is currently not available to them. A next-generation sequencer will allow faculty mentors to train new student researchers and use the technology in upper-division Biology courses. This has the potential to not only transform research and education for the University of Texas Pan American, but transform research and education for the entire South Texas region. The research team includes four women, one of whom is Hispanic and one that has a disability. A next-generation sequencer will increase the number of Hispanics, women, and disabled persons conducting biological research in South Texas and in the USA.