Funds are being requested to purchase a 48 column synthesizer and a fluorescence based automated sequencer. The DNA synthesizer has the capability, in addition to synthesis, to cleave, deprotect, purity, and quantitate the amount of synthesized oligonucleotide. The DNA sequencer is a high throughput instrument with the capability of generating a minimum of 400 nucleotides of sequence from 144 samples per day. The instrument will be housed in the Biopolymer Core Facility (BCF), part of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. The BCF is an existing centralized service facility. An advisory committee works with staff on a fee for service basis. These fees will be used to maintain the instrumentation while it is in operation. The requested instrumentation along with existing instrumentation is also utilized for training students in Biomedical Science Research and Applied Molecular Biology programs of study. Pending approval of this proposal, the School of Medicine, the Medical Biotechnology Center, and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology have each committed a significant amount of money towards the purchase of these two instruments.
