A grant has been awarded to Dr. Feddersen at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to acquire scientific instrumentation that will enhance training and research opportunities concerning the influence of ions (potassium, sodium, calcium, chloride, etc.) on cell function. Changes in ionic gradients mediate diverse processes including cellular communication, chemical transportation, information storage/retrieval and energy production/use. Regulation of ion concentration is the job of selective channels traversing the membranes of all cells. While ion channel diversity and conservation among species have been revealed through the recent findings of genome projects, much remains to be learned about the basic function of ion channel proteins. Seminal advances in ion channel research have been the focus of both the Nobel prize and Lasker Award in the past year serving to draw the attention of young investigators. The goal of this proposal is to improve integration of research and research training in the field of ion channel biology which is well-represented at the University of Minnesota. Cutting-edge instrumentation will be utilized in multiple laboratory courses and time-shared with research laboratories where it will enhance 'on-the-job' research training. The award will facilitate three objectives: 1) improving the teaching capabilities of several laboratory courses, 2) expanding ion channel research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and 3) providing critical infrastructure for the research training of non-university students. To meet these objectives seven state-of- the-art experimental workstations will be assembled and distributed to four courses and at least six different research labs during the year. A common method to study ion gradients and the channels that affect them requires the use of sensitive physiological approaches whereby miniature sensors(electrodes) are delicately placed in a living specimen. Individual ion channels are most conveniently studied in a simple system utilizing frog eggs. This approach involves genetic engineering and synthesis of information molecules (mRNAs) coding for ion channels followed by injection of the mRNA into large, viable egg cells. The cell's translation machinery converts the mRNA into ion channel proteins that are inserted into the cell membrane. Electrodes placed in the cell collect minute signals that report ion channel function. Using this approach researchers will measure, and instructors will teach students how to measure, the response of channels to various stimuli or blockers in the presence or absence of accessory molecules. The power of genetic engineering allows the introduction of precise mutations to pinpoint the functional importance of each part of a channel. Protein expression and functional analysis in frog eggs has become a standard approach of ion channel and cell surface receptor researchers. The instrumentation allowed by this award is well matched to that application. The equipment includes microscopes, micro-manipulators, mRNA injectors, computers, analog/digital converters, amplifiers and signal conditioning software that make ion channel recording efficient and informative. The equipment will also be used in basic electrophysiology training and research in more complex specimens such as cells in a variety of tissues, including neurons in brain slices isolated from the mature nervous system. Teaching laboratories expose students to the critical observations and techniques that provide the foundation of advanced life sciences research. The instrumentation awarded will directly support objective #1 because it will be used to present ion channel training exercises in several undergraduate and graduate level laboratory courses. Fundamentals taught in laboratory courses require an appropriate setting to advance research to the frontier of discovery. Therefore, when not needed for course work, the equipment will become a 'core utility' supplied to Principal Investigator labs for undergraduate and graduate student research projects. The contemporary, fully compatible equipment will best serve the diversity of research efforts ongoing at the University of Minnesota and satisfy objective #2. As University courses become more available and convenient for a greater diversity of students the equipment will be accessed by non-university researchers and small college educators meeting objective #3. The research instrumentation will become a distributed and unifying feature across courses and contemporary research endeavors, as well as, among individual labs within departments and research sectors. Because overall research training and research will be integrated through this award, cost-sharing funds were pledged from three separate colleges at the University of Minnesota. The funded proposal will enhance the presentation of laboratory-based education, promote student participation in the achievement of independent research goals and enrich the interaction among non-traditional students and university personnel.
