RNA from fungal cultures

本提案是为购买三台实验室设备申请资金，用于推进由马尼托巴大学的两位研究人员及其学生进行的真菌生物技术和天然产物的研究。这三套设备包括一个用于定量少量RNA和蛋白质的NanoDrop分光光度计，一个用于高质量提取RNA和蛋白质的冷藏台式离心机，以及一个用于最大化真菌生长以生产RNA和蛋白质的温控摇培养箱。其中一个研究项目是G.豪斯纳（G. Hausner）的项目，他研究基因表达和新型酶的产生，这种酶有能力让DNA的短片段在基因组内移动。这为生物技术的进步带来了希望，例如转基因生物和潜在地克服植物病原体的影响。另一个项目是皮尔西-诺莫尔的项目，他研究环境对具有药用和其他活性的真菌天然产物生产的影响。产生这些天然产物的基因可以受到环境和文化条件的控制。这两个程序检查不同目的的真菌基因的表达，并需要这种设备，使这些重要的研究领域的进展更有效。

This proposal is a request for funding to purchase three pieces of laboratory equipment that will advance research on fungal biotechnology and natural products conducted by two researchers and their students at the University of Manitoba. The three pieces of equipment include a NanoDrop spectrophotometer for quantifying small amounts of RNA and proteins, a refrigerated benchtop centrifuge to extract RNA and protein in high quality yield, and a temperature controlled shaking incubator to maximize fungal growth for production of RNA and proteins. One of the research programs is that of G. Hausner who studies gene expression and production of novel enzymes that have the ability to allow short fragments of DNA to move within the genome. This has promise for biotechnology advances such as genetically modifying organisms and potentially overcoming the effects of plant pathogens. The other program is that of M. Piercey-Normore who studies the effects of the environment on production of fungal natural products that have medicinal and other activities. The genes that produce these natural products can be controlled by environmental, and hence culture, conditions. Both programs examine expression of fungal genes for different purposes and require this equipment to allow these significant areas of research to progress more effectively.