It is proposed to upgrade the existing DNA core facility by adding an ABI PRISM 377 DNA sequencer, with an upgraded sequence hardware and GENESCAN, GENOTYPER and sequence upgrade softwares. The instrument will be housed and operated in the recently renovated core facility at the School of Veterinary Medicine, and supervised by a Committee of major users from 11 different departments of the School of Veterinary Medicine and School of Medicine, all located within a one to two block area of the campus. The major users consist of 31 research groups (over 170 research personnel) with over 88 federal and non-federal grants, who will use this equipment for about 85% of the time. The research interests of the major user group are focused on the basic as well as clinical aspects of cell and molecular biology, including transgenesis, are focused on the basic as well as clinical aspects of cell and molecular biology, including transgenesis. developmental aspects of histone, hemoglobin, and immunoglobin gene expression, gene expressing during embryogenesis, myogenesis, mitochondrial and nuclear gene interaction, sexual dimorphism in hepatic and brain drug metabolism, teratogenesis, cell transformation, hypoxia/perfusion, structure and function of ion channels, signal transduction in neural cells, AIDS and related neuromuscular and hematopeitic diseases, characterization of genetic disorders of inherited metabolic diseases and development of gene therapy in various animal models. All of the 31 major users have requirements for high efficiency DNA sequencing. About 12 of them have immediate requirements for mutational analysis and gene mapping techniques, and an additional 6 groups need these facilities within the next 2-3 years. The facility will be run by an experienced biochemist/molecular biologist who has been managing the core facility for the past nine years.
