Instrumentation for the Purification and Quantification of Proteins and Nucleic Acids

Marquette University, Milwaukee WI

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides funds to enable purchase of storage phosphor screens and a phosphorimaging device that can be used in combination to locate and measure radioactive biological macromolecules. Such devices have become essential instrumentation for a large variety of procedures in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of proteins and nucleic acids, typically following separation procedures that make use gel electrophoresis. Latent images, produced by ionizing radiation emitted by the radioactive biomolecules, are captured by the storage phosphor screens which are then scanned by the phosphorimaging device. The resultant image can be stored in digital format to permit image display, analysis and if required, the preparation of publication-quality images of the data. The use of storage phosphor screen and phosphorimager replaces the use of conventional X-ray film and eliminates the need for development and scanning of film. The imager can also be used to detect molecules chemically labeled with fluorescent chromophores without the need for screens. The instrumentation will serve 5 major users and 3 minor users in interdisciplinary research and education efforts at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The requested equipment will be housed in a central location in close proximity to the research laboratories of all the major users. The availability of such instrumentation will have an enormous impact on the quality and volume of the research being performed by the user groups, including graduate students and participants in an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates - Site project. The experimental problems being investigated by the user groups include developmental regulation of drosophila and tetrahymena gene expression, studies of thyroid hormone receptor m-RNA, and analysis of yeast mitochondria.