BioTrove Open Array Platform

描述(由申请人提供)：塔夫茨医学中心和分子心脏病研究所(MCRI)的Biotrove OPENARRAY系统项目研究人员进行转化性研究，目的是确定可用于改善疾病患者治疗的新诊断工具和治疗方法。例如，MCRI的几个项目正在寻求识别导致家族心血管疾病的异常基因，如高血压和先天性心脏病。除了这项工作，NIH资助的塔夫茨医学中心的很大一部分调查人员，以及MCRI内的其他NIH资助的调查人员，目前正在检查基因的表达，以了解这些基因变化是如何在疾病中发生的。目前，这些研究严重依赖于传统方法，这些方法在准确测量基因表达或提供低通量的基因突变分析方面能力有限。基因和基因表达研究成功的关键是能够使用宝贵的少量起始材料重复测量基因表达水平和基因突变的设备。对于基因和基因表达的研究，实时聚合酶链式反应现在被认为是一种基本技术。目前，我们依赖的是个体研究人员的实时聚合酶链式反应设备，这些设备没有足够的吞吐量或灵活性来满足我们NIH资助的研究日益增长的需求。因此，这项提案的目的是获得所需的支持，以购买Biotrove OpenArray系统，该系统可用于中等吞吐量的基因表达和基因分型应用，构成了本提案调查人员所描述的目前由NIH资助的研究基地。OpenArray系统的新奇之处在于将反应体积减少到纳升的1000倍，这允许以较低的成本同时进行多个实验。例如，OpenArray系统一次可以在48个样本上分析多达60个基因类型。这一增加的吞吐量预计每天允许多达4.4万个基因反应--比塔夫茨医疗中心园区现有的仪器高出10倍。在纳升范围内分析基因类型将减少试剂和劳动力成本。最后，分析多个基因表达测试的能力将大大提高我们工作的吞吐量和灵活性。参与这项提议的调查人员目前无法获得这样的文书。Biotrove开放阵列系统的独特优势将加快我们实验室的生产率，使我们有更大的机会进一步开展本提案中描述的研究人员的翻译研究。与公共卫生相关：翻译科学的承诺是将床边带到法官席上，反之亦然，从而改善对疾病的理解和治疗。Biotrove开放阵列系统将使塔夫茨医学中心的研究人员能够加快他们对疾病如何在家庭中运行以及基因表达和功能的变化如何导致疾病的研究。这些研究的总体目标是寻求新的治疗方法，以改善健康和拯救生命。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): BIOTROVE OPENARRAY SYSTEM PROJECT Investigators in the Tufts Medical Center and the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute (MCRI) perform translational studies with the goal of identifying new diagnostic tools and treatments that can be used to improve the treatment of disease patients. For example, several projects in the MCRI are seeking to identify abnormal genes that are responsible for cardiovascular diseases that run in families, such as high blood pressure and congenital heart disease. In addition to that work, a large fraction of NIH-funded Tufts Medical Center Investigators, as well as other NIH-funded Investigators within the MCRI, currently examine the expression of genes to understand how these genetic changes occur with disease. Currently, these studies rely heavily on traditional methods that have a limited ability to accurately measure gene expression or offer low throughput analysis of gene mutations. Key to the success of gene and gene expression studies is equipment capable of reproducibly measuring levels of gene expression and gene mutations using preciously small amounts of starting material. For both gene and gene expression studies Real-Time PCR is now considered an essential technique. At this time, we are relying on individual investigators' real time PCR equipment that is without sufficient throughput or flexibility to meet the growing needs of our NIH-funded research. The purpose of this proposal, therefore, is to gain the support needed to purchase a BioTrove OpenArray System that can be used for medium-throughput gene expression and genotype applications that comprise the current NIH-funded research base described by the investigators of this proposal. The novelty of the OpenArray System is the one thousand fold reduction in reaction volume to nanoliter quantities, which allows for multiple experiments to be performed simultaneously at a lower cost. For example, the OpenArray System can analyze up to sixty genotypes at one time on forty-eight samples. This added throughput is predicted to allow up to forty-four thousand genotype reactions each day- a ten fold advantage over current instruments available on the Tufts Medical Center campus. Analyzing genotypes on a nanoliter scale will reduce reagent and labor costs. Finally, the ability to analyze multiple gene expression tests would substantially enhance the throughput and flexibility of our work. Such an instrument is not currently available to the investigators taking part in this proposal. The unique advantages of the BioTrove OpenArray System will accelerate the productivity of our laboratories, allowing greater opportunity to further the translational research of the investigators described in this proposal. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The promise of translational science is to bring the bedside to the bench, and visa versa, leading to improved understanding and treatment of disease. A BioTrove OpenArray System will allow investigators in the Tufts Medical Center to accelerate their studies into how diseases can run in families and how changes in gene expression and function contribute to disease. The overall goal of these studies is to pursue new treatments that will improve health and save lives.