Swinging-bucket ultracentrifuge rotor

我申请资金购买一个摆动桶，钛转子，用于超高速离心，以支持在UNB弗雷德里克顿生物系的研究。超离心器是任何分子生物学/生物化学实验室所需的基本实验室设备，其功能是基于样品以非常高的速度围绕固定轴旋转。这种加速度产生向心力，其用于基于密度和/或尺寸使细胞悬浮液破碎。旋桶式转子具有较长的路径长度，非常适合使用密度梯度离心分离细胞组分和蛋白质复合物。我的研究利用这种技术来检查与所有光合真核生物中发现的捕光复合物（LHC）相关的蛋白质的细胞位置和生化特性，这些蛋白质可能在保护光合器官免受过量光损伤方面发挥作用。这些蛋白质被预测为结合色素，并且可能在消耗光能或以其他方式保护光合机构的压力期间，当过量的光可以是破坏性的。剖析这个LHC相关蛋白家族的作用对于预测微藻耐受增加的胁迫条件的能力是重要的，并最终有助于了解微藻中如何调节光捕获和能量产生。

I am requesting funds to purchase a swinging bucket, titanium rotor that is used in ultra-high speed centrifugation to support research in the Biology Department at UNB Fredericton. The ultracentrifuge is basic piece of laboratory equipment required in any molecular biology/biochemistry laboratory and its function is based on rotation of samples around a fixed axis at very high speeds. This acceleration creates centripetal forces that are used to fractionate cellular suspensions on the basis of density and/or size. Swinging-bucket rotors have a long path length that is ideal for fractionating cellular components and protein complexes using density gradient centrifugation. My research utilizes this technique to examine the cellular location and biochemical properties of proteins that are related to the light harvesting complexes (LHC) found in all photosynthetic eukaryotes, which may have a role in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from damage due to excess light. These proteins are predicted to bind pigments and may have a role in dissipating light energy or otherwise protecting the photosynthetic apparatus during periods of stress when excess light can be destructive. Dissecting the role of this family of LHC-related proteins is important to predict the capacity of microalgae to tolerate increased stress conditions and ultimately contribute to the knowledge of how light harvesting and energy generation are regulated in microalgae.