Theromocycler

我的研究项目是解剖控制拟南芥脉纹形成的分子机制。我们通过突变来识别参与这一过程的基因，然后通过物理作图来确定基因在基因组中的位置。 通过鉴定候选基因中的插入系和通过对来自突变体基因组的候选基因进行测序来完成基因的分离。 一旦基因被分离，关于基因表达、基因结构和功能以及蛋白质定位的许多问题可以通过创建转基因或通过以靶向方式突变基因并分析基因活性的变化来解决。 该过程的每个步骤都需要使用热循环仪通过聚合酶链式反应（PCR）扩增DNA。我们的实验室（博士后研究员，2名研究生，本科生）目前只有一台热循环仪-一台8年的机器，容量为48管。 这台机器使用量很大，它的低容量限制了我们在作图和基因分型实验上的吞吐量。此外，如果它坏了，我们的研究就会停止，因为我们没有可用的备份。因此，我请求13，393.70美元购买额外的96管容量的热循环仪，以增加我们的吞吐量，并最终取代我们的老化机器。

My research program is dissecting the molecular mechanisms controlling formation of vein pattern in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identify genes involved in this process by mutation, and then determine the position of the gene within the genome through physical mapping.  Isolation of the gene is accomplished by identifying insertion lines in candidate genes and by sequencing candidate genes from the mutant genome.  Once the gene is isolated, a number of questions about gene expression, gene structure and function and protein localization can be addressed through the creation of transgenes, or through mutating the gene in a targeted fashion and analyzing changes to gene activity.  Each step of this process requires amplification of DNA through the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a thermocycler. Our lab (postdoctoral fellow, 2 graduate students, undergraduate students) currently has only one thermocycler - an 8-year old machine with 48 tube capacity.  This machine is very heavily used, and its low capacity limits our throughput on mapping and genotyping experiments. Moreover, if it breaks down, our research stops, because we have no available backup. Therefore, I am requesting 13, 393.70 to purchase an additional thermocycler with 96 tube capacity to increase our throughput and eventually replace our aging machine.