Acquisition of Equipment for High-throughput Genomics Studies

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract Galbraith During the last few years, the analysis of entire genomes has been made possible by technological breakthroughs, such that gene isolation and characterization and functional analyses have become dramatically faster and more efficient than previously possible. "Genomics" is broadly defined as research toward understanding the structure of genomes, the genes present in these genomes and their expression, and the functions of the proteins encoded by these genes. Essential to genome-wide gene expression and function studies is the use of recently developed robotic methods for the high-throughput manipulation of genes and the analysis of sequences. Equipment for colony and plaque picking (a robotic workstation), for DNA sequence amplification (PCR instruments), for high-throughput DNA sequencing (a capillary DNA sequencer), and for analysis of DNA microarrays (a microarray scanner) will be used for high-throughput genomics analysis at the University of Arizona. The colony and plaque-picking robot will be used for the high-throughput isolation of individual colonies and plaques from cDNA, EST, and genomic libraries produced for different eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms and tissues. cDNA/EST libraries will be produced under a variety of conditions designed to induce different expression patterns, thereby identifying new genes. The PCR amplification instruments will be employed for the high-throughput production of amplified DNA molecules suitable for DNA sequencing and DNA microarraying. The capillary sequencer will be employed for the sequencing of the DNA molecules that have been amplified from the various library inserts. The array scanner will be employed for the analysis of microarrays following hybridization using fluorescent "target" molecules prepared from eukaryotic cells and tissues subjected to different environmental conditions. The impact of the instrumentation on the field of research will be particularly profound in the area of the Plant Sciences. Four major NSF-funded Plant Genomics grants provide research funding for the University of Arizona. Given the availability of high-throughput instrumentation provided by this funding, a considerable increase in the progress of these projects is anticipated. Specifically, the instrumentation will permit the production and sequencing of many more cDNA and EST libraries than originally envisaged by these proposals. This should lead to greater numbers of discovered genes for different organisms, as well as a more profound understanding of how gene expression is regulated. The instrumentation will also alleviate bottlenecks in PCR-based microarray production and microarray analysis, and this in turn will accelerate understanding of the coordination of gene expression through functional genomics. These research and training groups represent ones at the University of Arizona that are already involved in genomics analyses. Other U.A. groups are poised to start such work as a logical extension of their ongoing, federally funded activities. Availability of the proposed equipment will directly assist their programs, and also increase the numbers of faculty groups considering a high-throughput genomics approach to their specific research problems. In terms of education and outreach, the U.A. has a defined mission in educating the future work force of Arizona and the Nation. The availability of the proposed equipment will provide an invaluable teaching and training resource.