Acquisition of a Sequencing and Microarray Facility for Illinois State University

Board Of Trustees Of Illinois State University, Normal IL

Investigators

Abstract

This award will support the acquisition of instrumentation for the Molecular Core Facility (MCF) at Illinois State University. Although the primary focus of the acquisition is research, the instrumentation will also be used in laboratory courses. Six faculty members from the Department of Biological Sciences (Kevin Edwards, Craig Gatto, Brian Wilkinson, John Sedbrook, David Williams, and David Borst), and one from the Department of Chemistry (Jon Friesen) participate as senior personnel on this proposal. Collectively, they are responsible for the training of four post-doctoral associates, 18 graduate students, and 23 undergraduate students that would use the proposed instrumentation. These researchers study a wide range of biological questions including physiological responses to stress in plants and animals, developmental biology, lipid biochemistry, behavioral ecology, endocrinology, and parasite/host interactions. Training at all levels has always been a major component of research activities at ISU. Undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows will be able to incorporate these important research tools into their repertoire of skills. We currently offer courses (and are planning additional courses) targeted towards capitalizing on the technologies supported by the MCF. All the users included in this proposal have actively trained members of underrepresented groups in their laboratories. This new equipment for the MCF will benefit our ongoing and planned community outreach initiatives involving instructors and demonstrations for students from Heartland Community College (5 mi away) and ongoing collaborations with liberal arts colleges including Illinois Wesleyan U (2 mi away) and Millikin U. (20 mi away).