Acquisition of a Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter [FACS] to Support Research and Teaching in the Biological Sciences at the University of California, Riverside

University Of California-Riverside, Riverside CA

Investigators

Abstract

A grant has been awarded to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) under the direction of Dr. Anthony W. Norman to acquire a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) to significantly expand current research in the biological sciences and to provide support for rapidly expanding enrollment and education programs. Concentrated campus research initiatives in genomics, biomedical sciences, cell biology and neuroscience, biochemistry and other biological sciences will be substantially enhanced by technology to investigate fundamental cellular mechanisms. Access to a FACS at UCR will advance the research programs of a significant number of federally-funded, research-active faculty in the life sciences and provide students opportunities for hands-on training that prepares them for the complex challenges of modern interdisciplinary research. Among the specific projects to benefit are investigations to better understand the biological actions of the steroid hormone form of vitamin D, the behavior in insects of small pieces of DNA known as transposable elements, the p53 tumor suppressor gene, the role of certain receptor-ligand proteins in ultraviolet light-induced carcinogenesis, and the function of proteins called GTPases in a variety of plant cellular functions. In addition, acquisition of a FACS will augment UCR's goals to deliver the highest quality educational experience to undergraduate and graduate students. Toward that end, the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigators will develop a cross-departmental course in cell sorting techniques and applications as part of the teaching component of the Department of Biochemistry, the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Genetics, and the UCR Genomics Institute. The instrument will also be available to students participating in an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Plant Cell Biology program, which specifically targets underrepresented students and women. As one of the most diverse, rapidly growing research universities in the nation, UCR has an exceptional opportunity to nurture high-quality research and teaching in a multicultural environment. The current student body of nearly 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students, with more than 27 percent enrollment by underrepresented groups, is expected to reach 21,000 by the year 2010. The FACS will facilitate UCR's efforts to accelerate programs in genomics, biochemistry and molecular biology, environmental sciences and plant cell biology, will help attract and retain outstanding faculty and graduate students in the biological sciences, and will promote the training of a diverse group of users. The FACS will also complement existing and planned shared-use instrumentation, thus enhancing the research and education infrastructure at UCR.