MRI: Acquisition of a fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) supporting multi-disciplinary approaches to exploring biological responses

罗德学院获得了一项奖励，以支持获得荧光激活细胞分选器（FACS），以加强罗德学院和孟菲斯地区机构的教师研究和本科生培训。该仪器允许从大群体中分离小颗粒，包括活细胞，并基于非常具体的特征，如颗粒大小或蛋白质的存在。当细胞被分离时，可以收集到关于每个细胞的非常详细的信息，并且可以进一步研究活细胞。FACS仪器的增加将改变在罗德大学这个研究活跃的本科大学（PUI）的教师主导的课程、指导研究和推广项目中培养下一代科学家的能力。该仪器允许快速和精确的分析和分离，非常强大，因此它将帮助科学家和本科生回答广泛的生物学问题，包括基因如何功能，细胞如何应对压力，以及有关生态系统中生物多样性的问题。主要研究方向为：(1)表观遗传基因调控；(2)亲本调控基因表达；(3)对病毒感染的反应；(4)一种沙门氏菌的金属摄入量；(5)免疫系统对一种真菌病原体的反应；(6)维生素依赖性细胞周期进程；(7)淡水生态系统浮游植物群落；(8)物种形成对倍性变化的响应。这项工作将通过在国家会议上的演讲与科学界分享，并与本科生共同作者在同行评议的期刊上发表。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An award is made to Rhodes College to support the acquisition of a fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) to enhance the research of faculty and training of undergraduate students at Rhodes College and institutions in the Memphis area. This instrument allows separation of small particles, including living cells, from large populations and is based on very specific features such as particle size or the presence of a protein. As cells are isolated, very detailed information can be gathered about each cell and the living cells can be further studied. Addition of the FACS instrument will transform the ability to train the next generation of scientists in Rhodes faculty-led coursework, mentored research, and outreach programs at this research-active Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI). This instrument allows fast and precise analysis and separation that is very robust so that it will help scientists and undergraduate students answer a broad range of biological questions, including the how genes function, how cells respond to stress, and questions regarding biodiversity in ecological systems. Projects will focus on (1) epigenetic gene regulation; (2) parental control of gene expression; (3) response to viral infection; (4) metal intake in a type of Salmonella bacterium; (5) immune system response to a type of fungal pathogen; (6) vitamin dependent cell cycle progression; (7) phytoplankton communities in freshwater ecosystems; and (8) speciation response to changes in ploidy. This work will be shared with the scientific community through presentations at national conferences and publication with undergraduate co-authors in peer-reviewed journals.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.