This is an application to obtain funds to replace our existing Typhoon 8600 variable mode imager with a Typhoon 9410, a related instrument with enhanced capabilities. The existing instrument is only five years old but has been in high demand, ~7000 scans during the past fiscal year. Over the past few years, the number of service calls and the severity of the corresponding problems have increased dramatically. The manufacturer no longer sells the 8600, so support for this instrument may be limited. Thirteen investigators, supported by 19 grants from NIH, rely on this instrument on a daily basis to perform their research. Several other investigators, funded by other agencies, rely on this instrument as well. The use of the typhoon has almost completely eliminated the use of expensive X- ray film for detection of radionuclides. However, X-ray film is still used for chemiluminescence applications, especially Western blotting. The 8600 lacks the blue laser required for use of the most sensitive chemifluorescence reagents available for Western-blotting applications;therefore, we have been forced to use chemiluminescence almost exclusively. The 9410 has the required blue laser. Acquisition of a Typhoon 9410 will enhance chemifluorescence capabilities by increasing sensitivity, ensure uninterrupted progress on the 19 NIH-supported research projects, and eliminate the cost associated with the use of X-ray film for chemiluminescence applications.
The NIH-funded projects that will benefit from the purchase of the Typhoon 9410 focus on topics ranging from virus replication and pathogenesis to cancer with the ultimate goal of preventing, diagnosing and/or treating diseases afflicting citizens of the United States and around the world.
