The Rockefeller University Protein Sequencing Facility requests funds to purchase instrument system for biopolymer synthesis and purification of proteins and peptides. This system consists of a DNA synthesizer, a peptide synthesizer, and a microbore HPLC. The RU central facility has successfully served the University community since 1983. Other synthesizers on campus are used so extensively in their respective laboratories for either instrument development or specific projects that they are not available for the general needs of the other university scientists. A large number of research groups at The Rockefeller University rely on the latest techniques in automated protein sequencing, peptide synthesis, and DNA synthesis for their ongoing studies of basic questions in developmental biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, neuroscience, immunology, parasitology, bacteriology and protein chemistry. Among the common themes in the approaches of the various laboratories are: i) establishing a partial primary structure of virtually any protein of interest using microsequencing methods; ii) synthesizing corresponding DNA probes to screen cDNA or genomic libraries; and iii) synthesizing peptides to be used directly as functional probes or to generate antibodies. All of these techniques are routinely used by these scientists, and the Facility has provided both peptides and oligonucleotides for a wide variety of these studies. The instruments used to perform these techniques constitute an """"""""instrument system"""""""" as defined by the program director of BRS-SIG. The inclusion in the Facility of a new peptide synthesizer for the synthesis of peptides to generate antibodies or to be used as functional probes, a DNA synthesizer for the synthesis of DNA probes, and a microbore HPLC system for the micropurification of peptides for protein sequence analysis is essential if Rockefeller laboratories are to remain current in the technology necessary to advance their PHS funded research aims.
