We are requesting funds for a multi-investigator chromatography system which consists of a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) instrument with photodiode array (PDA) capability. The instrumentation will provide faculty and students with use of state-of-the-art equipment that is needed at this time for a growing research program. Specifically, this instrument is to be used by multiple investigators on the following research problems: (1) biogeochemcial cycling of organic matter in the Sabine-Neches estuary; (2) isolation of the neuroendocrine factors regulating water balance in the earthworm; (3) chemical fate studies of organic molecules in the environment; (4) studies on molluscan immunobioloby. The separation and purification of macromolecules is of prime importance to all of these projects, and HPLC would provide this capability. The photodiode array detector will allow for identification of molecules in complex mixtures, particularly when working in natural systems.
