Cutting-edge robotics for microbial high-throughput applications

这是对最先进的机器人工作站的要求，以实现大规模的功能基因组和小分子微生物筛选研究。机器人技术对于在系统水平上理解微生物过程是绝对必要的，它提供了快速分析大型微生物菌株集合和化学库的能力。为了支持三个创新研究项目(考克斯、夏皮罗和惠特菲尔德)，迫切需要S&P Robotics BM6仪器；由于缺乏随时可用的机器人技术，严重限制了申请者在该领域的研究范围。为了保持国内和国际竞争力，并为HQP提供最高水平的培训，申请者获得这种设备是至关重要的。这样的接触将极大地扩大他们的研究范围，确保HQP能够解决高影响力和创新性的研究问题。申请者研究的一个共同主题是微生物遗传相互作用的系统级分析、功能基因组学以及细菌和真菌中的小分子筛选。考克斯博士使用高通量基因组和化学方法来探测复杂的微生物系统。所需的基础设施将使外排泵生理功能的系统级研究、化学遗传学研究和微生物转座子文库的快速分析成为可能。夏皮罗博士的研究项目旨在了解支撑真菌复杂生物表型的遗传相互作用网络。自动化将把夏皮罗博士的基因交互作用屏幕扩展到全基因组水平，这只能通过所述的自动化来实现。惠特菲尔德博士的研究旨在了解细菌中复杂的细胞表面碳水化合物的组装和输出所涉及的机制；高通量分析需要该仪器来检查大型细菌缺失文库中的形态和细胞生长参数，以及系统地生成细菌基因缺失的成对组合。目前，圭尔夫大学完全缺乏高通量微生物研究的能力。无法在当地获得这一工具严重阻碍了申请者的研究，并限制了HQP的培训机会，因为HQP只能使用吞吐量低得多的方法，很容易出错，或者通勤到其他机构获取信息，严重依赖类似的基础设施。因此，所要求的基础设施将为HQP提供一个关键的培训机会，这一要求代表着一个令人兴奋的机会，以支持和推进Guelph大学的尖端高通量微生物研究。

This is a request for a state-of-the-art robotic workstation to enable large-scale functional genomic and small-molecule microbial screening studies. Robotics are absolutely essential for a systems-level understanding of microbial processes, providing the ability to rapidly profile large microbial strain collections and chemical libraries. The S&P Robotics BM6 instrument is urgently needed to support three innovative research programs (Cox, Shapiro & Whitfield); the lack of ready access to robotics has severely limited the scope of the applicants' research in this field. To remain nationally and internationally competitive, and to provide the highest level of training to HQP, it is essential that the applicants acquire this equipment. Such access will vastly expand the scope of their research, ensuring HQP can address high-impact and innovative research questions. A common theme of the applicants' research is the systems-level analysis of microbial genetic interactions, functional genomics, and small-molecule screening in bacteria and fungi. Dr. Cox uses high-throughput genomic and chemical approaches to probe complex microbial systems. The requested infrastructure will enable the systems-level investigation of the physiological functions of efflux pumps, chemical-genetic studies, and the rapid profiling of microbial transposon libraries. Dr. Shapiro's research program aims to understand the genetic interaction networks underpinning complex biological phenotypes in fungi. Automation will expand Dr. Shapiro's genetic interaction screens to a genome-wide level, which can only be accomplished with the described automation. Dr. Whitfield's research aims to understand the mechanisms involved in the assembly and export of complex cell surface carbohydrates in bacteria; the instrument is required for high-throughput assays to examine morphological and cell growth parameters in large bacterial deletion libraries, and the systematic generation of pairwise combinations of bacterial gene deletions. Currently, there is a complete lack of capacity for high-throughput microbial studies at the U. of Guelph. Lack of local access to this instrument has significantly impeded the applicants' research and limited training opportunities for HQP who are restricted to significantly lower-throughput methods, which are vulnerable to errors, or commuting to other institutions to access heavily relied upon similar infrastructure. The requested infrastructure will therefore provide a pivotal training opportunity for HQP and this request represents an exciting opportunity to enable and advance cutting-edge high-throughput microbial studies at the U. of Guelph.