MRI: Acquisition of a Roche Genome Sequencer Titanium System for Studies of Microbial Communities

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award funds the acquisition of a Roche Genome Sequencer FLX Titanium System that allows massively high throughput "Next Generation" DNA sequencing at the University of California (UC) Davis. This system will form the core of a Microbial Diversity Sequencing Facility that will serve as an active center for both research and education in microbial diversity across the UC Davis Campus and with outside collaborators. Microbial diversity is fundamental to many key fields of research at UC Davis including agriculture, viticulture, microbiology, evolution, ecology, bioenergy, bioremediation, nutrition, and pathogenesis in plants, animals, and humans. The Roche Genome Sequencer FLX Titanium System will build on these strengths by revolutionizing the research in dozens of labs across campus, facilitating productive interaction between researchers investigating different aspects of microbial communities, and recruiting new researchers to this field. In addition, the system will be made available to others on campus and in the area through a core facility in the UC Davis Genome Center. The system will invigorate and shape diverse educational, training, and outreach activities. Furthermore, the Microbial Diversity Sequencing Facility will function in training undergraduates, graduate students, and post-docs in the gathering and meaningful use of massive amounts of DNA sequence data. Finally, the instrumentation will be used in partnerships with outside undergraduate educational institutions to provide them with access both to the equipment and to data that can be used as part of courses and research activities. Research, educational and outreach activities produced through the use of this equipment will be summarized on a project web site at http://microbialdiversity.ucdavis.edu.