The research to be carried out by the ten co-principal investigators involves experimental techniques drawn from molecular biology and protein biochemistry to study: (1) protein structure/function relationships; (2) the ability of plants to synthesize cellulose and to respond to temperature stress and (3) evolutionary relationships in reptiles and mammals. The requested instrumentation, which will constitute the core biological facility, will provide a central, shared group of modern instruments that will enable the co-P.I.'s and other research faculty in the three co-operating academic departments represented in this proposal; to isolate proteins on a large scale; to purify proteins, peptides and oligonucleotides to homogeneity; to isolate, purify and amplify DNA samples; to obtain amino acid resolution of proteins; to analyze electrophoresis results quickly and with high DNA and to carry out site-directed mutagenesis.
