The Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer will provide researchers with instrumentation to promote and foster the advancement of individual and collaborative research opportunities in the dynamic and growing areas of genomics, molecular evolutionary biology and systematic, cell and molecular biology, microbiology, and forensic science at The University of Findlay. The genetic analyzer will provide opportunities to enhance the current research of faculty and undergraduate researchers, and provide exciting opportunities to develop and implement new research ideas and techniques possible only through advanced sequencing and fragment generation and analysis. Specific projects that will require extensive use of the genetic analyzer include investigations into: 1) evolutionary biology using sequence and fragment data, including phylogeography and population genetics, of amphibians and reptiles; 2) mutation frequencies and structural rearrangements of chromosomes; 3) the discovery and prevalence of Ranavirus in a natural preserve and a restored wetland in northern Ohio; 4) antibiotic resistance using bioflims in commercial and organic farms; and 5) in silico and in vitro Analysis of Protein Intrinsic Disorder. As a predominantly undergraduate institution, instrumentation, such as the requested Genetic Analyzer, is crucial in assisting us to integrate research into our curriculum where we train the next generation of scientists and foster faculty?s research interests.
The broader impacts of the proposed activities for the faculty and undergraduate researchers at The University of Findlay, the scientific community, and society are on par with the goals of the NSF-MRI program and include: 1) providing access to shared scientific instrumentation for research and training of faculty and to the broader scientific community through training sessions; 2) developing interdisciplinary and collaborative research opportunities among researchers; 3) enhancing opportunities for basic research techniques (e.g., experimental design, molecular methodologies and techniques), as well as teaching, training, and learning related to modern sequencing techniques and fragment analysis; 4) disseminating novel research findings, methods, and training opportunities to the broader scientific research community through peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and attendance and presentations at scientific meetings; 5) providing exceptional access and hands-on training using advanced instrumentation to undergraduate students, who encounter such equipment rarely or only upon study at the graduate level; 6) developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which augments the learning experiences for undergraduate students; and 7) offering outreach opportunities for area primary, middle, and secondary schools, as well as area college students, to learn basic sequencing techniques from research scientists in their field of interest.
