PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS, EVALUATION AND PUFIFICATION SYSTEM

此次申请的资金用于购买Advanced ChemTech 396双机器人多肽合成仪器，用于同时合成多个多肽，以及Waters Alliance HPLC设备，以评估所生产多肽的纯度并根据需要进行纯化。这些仪器是一个可操作的集成系统，对于肽合成设施（一个核心设施）中合成肽的生产至关重要。对这些仪器的需求是合理的：1)美国国立卫生研究院支持的匹兹堡大学癌症研究所的研究人员对合成肽的需求显著增加；2)计划扩大该设施的服务范围，包括来自整个匹兹堡大学社区的nih资助的研究人员；3)现有仪器的老化和缺乏成本效益（应用生物系统430A和Waters HPLC设备已有11年历史）。由于从下订单到收到成品之间经历了很长时间的延迟，合成能力的短缺一直是许多设施用户感到沮丧的原因。这导致了尽管这里生产的肽质量很高，但仍需要在学院外订购肽。目前，匹兹堡大学癌症研究所（UPCI）的成员是该设施的主要用户。多肽合成设施对更广泛的nih资助社区的重要性得到了机构支持。

This request is for funds to purchase an Advanced ChemTech 396 dual robotic peptide synthesis instrument for multiple, simultaneous peptide synthesis and Waters Alliance HPLC equipment to evaluate the purity of the peptides produced and to purify them as required. These instruments are an operationally integrated system, essential for the production of synthetic peptides in the Peptide Synthesis Facility, a core facility. The need for these instruments is justified by 1) a significantly increased demand for synthetic peptides by University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute NIH-supported investigators; 2) plans to expand the area served by the Facility to include NIH-funded investigators from the entire University of Pittsburgh community; and 3) the age and lack of cost effectiveness of the present instruments (an eleven year old Applied Biosystems 430A and Waters HPLC equipment). Shortage of synthetic capacity has been a source of frustration to many of the Facility users because of the long delays experienced between placing an order and receiving the finished product This has resulted in the need to order peptides outside the Faculty despite the high quality of the peptides produced here. At present, members of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) constitute the major users for the Facility. The importance of the Peptide Synthesis Facility to the broader NIH-funded community is recognized by institutional support for the Facility.