A grant has been awarded to the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) under the direction of Dr. Allison Gillaspy for support of the purchase of a Genomic Solutions G3S3000 Library Management system, which will be used for the management of recombinant DNAs derived from a variety of sources, including bacteria, and domesticated or wild animals and plants. High-throughput DNA sequencing and its associated technologies are becoming useful for biologists for a variety of studies that not only include genome sequencing, but high-throughput methods for molecular evolution analysis, microbial ecology and structural biology, among others. The Genomic Solutions G3S3000 Library Management system can replicate and recover individual clones from archived clone banks, and is extremely flexible, which will increase throughput for each research project, increase the accuracy of sample tracking and reduce technician intervention, thereby reducing the costs of taxpayer-supported research.
This machine will be located at the OUHSC Laboratory for Genomics and Bioinformatics, which is a facility responsible for providing a variety of molecular biological services to the Oklahoma academic community. The facility provides services to at least 92 users at several academic institutions in Oklahoma, including OUHSC, the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and Langston University (Oklahoma's only Historically Black College or University). The Library Management system will contribute to the research-related education of postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in the laboratories of the 92 academic users that are currently supported, and undergraduate students that participate in summer internships at OUHSC. Thus, the proposed instrumentation will have significant impact on the ability to provide these services to the academic community in Oklahoma. In addition, two ongoing funded NSF research projects will benefit significantly from the availability of this equipment. These two projects are focused on 1) understanding a novel bacterial parasite, and 2) fish evolution. There also are two pending projects that will require the proposed equipment, including 1) the genome sequencing of an insect pathogen that is heavily used as a pest biocontrol agent and 2) DNA sequencing in support of a peanut genome sequencing initiative.
The broader significance of this grant award is in the ability to provide state-of-the-art education in modern-day genomics techniques to undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral research fellows throughout the state of Oklahoma. This will enrich their educational experience and promote the development of an enhanced research infrastructure within the state. Studies supported by this grant will enhance the ability to control a variety of insect pathogens, and enhance the ability to economically exploit an important agricultural resource. These, in turn, will support the developing Oklahoma biotechnology industry, and provide economic as well as educational benefit to the local and state community.
