This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)award funds the acquisition of a Genome Sequencer FLX System from 454 Life Sciences and Roche Applied Science to help meet the needs of an expanding group of genomics researchers at University of Texas Arlington and the surrounding vicinity. Genetic and genome analyses have achieved a central role in modern biological research and are widely regarded as the key area for scientific discovery in the 21st century. UTA is making major advances in this field, through both strategic hires and investment in infrastructure. Specifically, UTA has renovated a 10,000+ sq.ft space in the Department of Biology to house the Genome Biology Group (GBG) Core Facility, hired 12 genomics faculty over the last five years, and considerable investment in major research equipment. The 454 sequencer, now part of the facility infrastructure, can produce 400,000 DNA sequences of 200-400 bases (equivalent to ~100 million bases of total sequence) in a single 6-8 hour run to support interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborative efforts spanning UTA's Department of Biology, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and School of Nursing. Specific areas of research interest include: environmental transcriptomics, transcriptional profiling of developing systems (e.g., xenopus oocyte models), coral biology, entomology, plant stress physiology, and many others. Results from the research projects will be disseminated through student and faculty presentations at regional and national meetings, and through publication of peer-reviewed journal articles.
