Replacement for Microbial Growth Assay Cluster

分析细胞生长的能力是大多数基因筛选的基石，也是表征基因功能和对细胞生物学贡献的重要步骤。细菌和酵母等单细胞生物在液体培养基中的生长模式揭示了不同基因如何影响细胞功能的基本信息。事实上，生长曲线揭示了关于单细胞生物的生理和代谢功能的关键见解。我们使用一组独特的微孔板流速仪，配有振荡器和真实的时间采样，并配备了自制的生长分析软件，为舍布鲁克大学的数十名研究人员绘制了数千条酵母和细菌细胞的生长曲线，并指导了数十名研究生进行基因和细胞功能的研究。该应用程序的目标是取代我们有缺陷的液体生长曲线分析集群，以维护我们的表型平台，为舍布鲁克大学的所有研究人员提供服务。我们的机构必须保持其提供微生物细胞分析解决方案的能力，以维持使用细菌和酵母模型系统的NSERC资助的研究计划。** 我们正在申请资金，以更换一组12台BioTek PowerWave酶标仪，我们已经使用了16年，以支持酵母和细菌细胞生长的研究与一组8台现代化的高容量机器。我们目前的读板机已经停产，并且不再提供备件进行维修。校园里没有类似配置的系统，如果没有它们，完成我们NSERC资助的研究所必需的整个生长测定和分析管道将停止运作。 这些新机器将确保为舍布鲁克大学医学院的10个实验室和数十个不同的研究小组提供持续服务。最重要的是，所要求的设备将允许我们独特的研究生培训计划，这是最近由NSERC创建计划资助的延续。总之，所要求的机器是绝对需要的，作为支持NSERC资助的研究和培训计划所必需的基本设备的替代品。

The capacity to analyse cell growth is the cornerstone of most genetic screens and an essential step for characterizing gene function and contribution to cell biology. Growth patterns in liquid media of single cell organisms like bacteria and yeast reveals essential information about how different genes contribute to cell function. Indeed, growth curves reveal key insights about the physiological and metabolic functions of singles cell organisms. Using a unique cluster of microplate spectrophotometers equipped with shaker and real time sampling fitted with our home-made growth analysis software we performed thousands of growth curves of yeast and bacterial cells for tens of researchers at the Université de Sherbrooke, and coached dozens of graduate students in their studies of gene and cell function. The goal of this application is to replace our defective liquid growth curve analysis cluster in order to maintain our phenotypic platform as a service to all researchers at the Université de Sherbrooke. It is essential for our institution to keep its capacity to provide microbial cells analysis solution in order to maintain the NSERC-funded research programs using bacterial and yeast model systems. ******We are requesting funds to replace a cluster of 12 BioTek PowerWave plate-readers that we have used for the last 16 years to support the study of yeast and bacterial cell growth with a cluster of 8 modern high-capacity machines. Our current plate-readers are discontinued, and spare parts are no longer available for repairs. There are no systems with similar configurations available on campus and without them, the whole pipeline of growth assays and analyses essential to complete our NSERC-funded research will cease to function. The new machines will ensure continued service to the 10 labs at the faculty of medicine and tens of different research group across the Université de Sherbrooke. Most importantly, the requested equipment will permit the continuation of our unique graduate training programs, which was recently funded by NSERC CREATE program. In summary, the requested machines are absolutely needed as replacements for basic equipment essential for supporting the research and training programs funded by NSERC.*****