The Health Sciences campus of the University of California at San Francisco is one of the foremost centers of biomedical research in the world. Its Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing employ several hundred outstanding investigators who have an exceptional record in achieving NIH awards. The UCSF campus is served by a state-of-the-art biotechnology core facility, the Biomolecular Resource Center (BRC). The BRC has served the UCSF campus since 1985, and fulfills investigators' needs in DNA and peptide sequencing, synthesis, analysis and purification. It is housed in 1,900 sq. ft. of laboratory/office space. Approximately 225 principal investigators have used the facility in the last year. Approximately 190 PIs have had 31,150 DNA templates sequenced, 105 PIs had ca. 3,100 oligonucleotides synthesized, over 30 PIs have had 155 peptides synthesized, and approximately 20 PIs had approximately 50 proteins sequenced. The facility is overseen by a Board of Overseers. Dr. Kathryn Ivanetich is the Director and oversees the day-to-day scientific, financial and administrative aspects of the BRC. Funding is requested for an Applied Biosystems 433A peptide synthesizer, Rainin Symphony Multiplex multiple peptide synthesizer, a Shimadzu analytical and preparative HPLC systems. The instruments are requested to replace outdated and obsolete instrumentation, and to provide increased automation to provide peptide synthesis, analysis and purification quickly, inexpensively and reliably to UCSF investigators. This request is supported by eleven UCSF Principal Investigators with considerable, ongoing PHS/NIH grant support. These PIs represent 8 UCSF departments, including Biochemistry and Biophysics, Medicine, Anatomy, Microbiology and Immunology, Physiology, Anesthesia, and Laboratory Medicine, plus the Cardiovascular Research Institute. The requested instrumentation would be a truly shared resource. No single investigator, group of investigators or department would dominate its use.
