This proposal requests funds to equip a common-use facility of instruments for research in cell and molecular biology in the Department of Biology. The instrumentation will greatly enhance the research capabilities of eight new young researchers who are actively involved in research on developmentally programmed genomic rearrangements, molecular biology of photosynthesis, regulation of prokaryotic gene families, genetics of mating type interconversion, zygote development, and uniparental inheritance, protein secretion from bacterial cells, and movement of molecules through plant cells via clathrin-coated vesicles. The instrumentation, which will also be used in training undergraduate, graduate, and posdoctoral students, will contribute to the establishment of a center of excellence in cell and molecular biology at Texas A&M. //
