: A BIAcore 3000 instrument is requested for inclusion in the BIAcore core facility at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). Our core facility currently has one shared first-generation BIAcore 1000 instrument. This instrument has been extensively used over the past few years since its installation, resulting in several publications in high quality journals. The BIAcore 1000 continues to be heavily used for pilot experiments, high-affinity quantitative analyses, and qualitative analyses. However, many scientists have expressed the need for a more sophisticated instrument that can reliably measure low-affinity binding and reproducibly measure binding of small peptides and growth factors. The BIAcore 3000 can accurately measure binding of small molecules (>200 Da), and its fully automated, multi-channel system configuration allows the simultaneous measurement of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) signals in multiple flow cells. This system also includes real-time signal subtraction of non-specific binding and refractive index changes in a control channel. The increased capabilities of the BIAcore 3000, which will be available to both new and current users of the core facility, will facilitate numerous NIH-funded projects that require the more advanced SPR technology. The entire package includes the BIAcore 3000 instrument, a complete computer system (CPU, monitor, printer) for instrument control as well as data acquisition, processing and analysis, a two-day training course, assorted system accessories, and a follow-up consultation. In addition we will purchase three additional evaluation software (BIAevaluation 3.0) packages to install on departmental personal computers. These packages will ensure that the computer dedicated to the BIAcore 3000 is always available for data acquisition.
