This award will provide a real-time thermocycler and a digital imager for the Chemistry and Biology Departments at Lawrence University. The common theme of each of the research activities for these instruments is the elucidation of complex biological and chemical processes through functional genomics-based approaches. Hall, a biochemist, is determining how rhinovirus interacts with signal transduction pathways. E. De Stasio is a molecular biologist who uses C. elegans to explore the protein-protein interactions in muscle. Wall is a developmental biologist whose research focuses on the role of various secreted factors in cell differentiation and embryonic patterning. Aquatic ecologist B. De Stasio is examining the intricate interactions of the Green Bay food web disrupted by zebra mussels. Each of the investigators has compiled an impressive body of work using currently available tools, but access to these new instruments (currently lacking at Lawrence) promises to further enhance the caliber and impact of student-centered research endeavors.
Multiple investigators, both faculty and undergraduates, from several campuses in northeast Wisconsin, will use the instruments to address a series of diverse biological questions. The instruments will also provide an environment for interdisciplinary collaborations and will improve the university's educational programs. Over 40% of Lawrence science graduates go on to post-graduate study. They do so in large part because of the cutting-edge research experiences they receive as undergraduates. In addition to helping provide research-rich experiences for the students, the instruments will be used in classes including biochemistry, molecular biology, developmental biology, and aquatic ecology. When students use state-of-the-art instruments, they gain a more accurate view of modern scientific inquiry, and they hone the types of critical thinking and experimental skills that are needed in today's society.
