Acquisition of a Flow Cytometer

Marshall University Research Corporation, Huntington WV

Investigators

Abstract

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Laura Jenski at Marshall University to acquire a flow cytometer. Six faculty in three units will use this instrument for their research projects, thesis projects of graduate and undergraduate students, and training students in undergraduate courses in research applications of this technology. Acquisition of a flow cytometer will bring a new and important technology to the faculty and students at Marshall University. The immediate research applications of the flow cytometer are diverse, and include exploration of fatty acid-induced changes in membrane function, protein expression during epidermal development and apoptosis in skin embryogenesis, cell cycle and quantitative gene expression during plant growth, and analysis of environmental samples for specific microbial populations. In addition, three courses are targeted for introducing flow cytometric applications as part of the independent exploration component of the courses. One is a core cell biology course and another is a combined undergraduate and graduate plant physiology course in Biological Sciences; the third is a course in the Integrated Science and Technology Program. Students pursuing graduate thesis research or undergraduate projects will have access to this instrument if properly trained and supervised by faculty, and collaborations established through the engagement of students in flow cytometry will, in addition to campus seminars and workshops, help to bring new users to the instrument. The flow cytometer will benefit students and faculty at Marshall University, and have a positive impact on the university and the state of West Virginia. Students at Marshall University will gain exposure, and in many cases hands-on experience, with flow cytometry, thereby contributing to a better trained and more scientifically sophisticated workforce in a state aiming to achieve more high technology jobs. Faculty at Marshall University will have a new technology available to them to apply to research questions, and this will improve their competitiveness in gaining funding for their projects. The availability of shared instrumentation and the intellectual exchange among the group of users will stimulate collaborative projects, also improving faculty research success. Finally, acquisition of research instrumentation will help Marshall University to build its national research presence and, in this fashion, offer modern creative experiences to its undergraduate and graduate students.