Quantitative imaging system for the Centre of High-Throughput Biology

在此RTI应用程序中，我们为不列颠哥伦比亚大学的高通量生物学中心(CHIBI)申请了红外线奥德赛扫描仪系统的资金。奥德赛是一种高度通用的仪器，可以为Western blotting、ELISA、组织切片分析以及Northern和Southern blotting执行定量成像。CHIBI是一个多学科中心，将高通量方法应用于各种生物系统，如蛋白质组学、化学生物学和基因组学。申请者实验室的工作重点是全球相互作用组、蛋白质分解、生物标记物发现和信号通路，以研究蛋白质质量控制系统、宿主-病原体相互作用和蜜蜂生物学。它通常需要通过蛋白质印迹对蛋白质进行精确的定量测量，而标准的化学发光技术由于动态范围较小而无法实现这一点。例如，Mayor博士的实验室已经成功地使用基于荧光的蛋白质定量方法和所需的仪器来筛选与蛋白质质量控制有关的候选基因。对该仪器的资助将使其能够进行定量分析：1)建立和优化用于质谱分析的样品制备方法；2)验证定量质谱分析获得的结果；3)筛选泛素化和蛋白质质量控制途径中涉及的候选基因。此外，定量成像系统将使更大的应用成为可能，如筛选新的生物标记物的酶联免疫吸附试验，以研究蜜蜂群体的崩溃。预计新仪器将对赤壁高素质人才的研究和培训产生重要影响。

In this RTI application, we request funding for a infrared Odyssey scanner system for the Centre of High-Throughput Biology (CHiBi) at the University of British Columbia. The Odyssey is highly versatile instrument to perform quantitative imaging for Western blotting, ELISA, tissue section analysis, as well as Northern and Southern blotting. CHiBi is a multi-disciplinary center that applies high-throughput methods in a variety of biological systems like proteomics, chemical biology and genomics. Work in the laboratories of the applicants focus on global interactome, proteolysis, biomarker discovery and signaling pathways to study protein quality control systems, host-pathogen interactions and honey bee biology. It often requires precise quantifiable measurements of proteins by Western blot that cannot be achieved by standard chemi-luminescent techniques, due to lower dynamic range. For instance, Dr Mayor's lab has successfully used fluorescent-based protein quantification methods with the requested instrument to screen for candidate genes implicated in protein quality control. Funding for this instrument will enable to perform quantitative analysis 1) to establish and optimize methods for sample preparation for mass spectrometry analysis, 2) to validate results obtained by quantitative mass spectrometry analysis, and 3) to screen for candidate genes implicated in ubiquitylation and protein quality control pathways. In addition, the quantitative imaging system will enable larger applications, like ELISA screening for new biomarkers to study the collapse of honey bee colonies. The new instrument is expected to have an important impact on the research and training of highly qualified personal at CHiBi.