The proposal represents a coordinated effort to fill the needs of approximately 150 investigators who undertake research in molecular biology or protein chemistry and require sensitive, rapid quantitative analysis of techniques which rely for detection of a radioactive signal. The request is supported by a primary user group of sixty investigators who would use these instruments. Appropriate institutional support has been committed for technical consultants, placement of the instruments at two sites which would be convenient for all faculty who would use the instruments, provision of ancillary funds for purchase of peripheral data processing work-stations and software, and for networking the instruments to the peripheral computers for off-site data storage and manipulation. Plans for upkeep and maintenance of the instruments, scheduling of their judicious use, and access for junior unfunded investigators, have been provided. The instruments will be considered as part of the University's molecular resources core and will be administered by the advisory committee headed by Dr. George Abraham, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Medicine, Dr. Barbara Iglewski, Professor and Chair of Microbiology and Immunology, Dr. Martin Gorovksy, Professor and Chair of Biology, Dr. Fred Sherman, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry, and Dr. Terry Platt, Professor of Biochemistry. The addition of these instruments to the Molecular Biology facility at the University and Medical School will be of great benefit to its investigators, will markedly diminish the need for and waste from radioactive chemicals and autoradiographic techniques, and will provide all scientists with a system for data analysis of excellent precision which has hitherto not been present in any form at this major research center.
