Funds are requested to obtain a Becton Dickinson FACSAria TM Cell Sorter to conduct a variety of biomedical related studies. The BD FACSAria is a newly developed FACS sorter, surpassing the earlier model, FACSVantage, in its superior application performance and low maintenance requirement. The availability of this instrument comes at a perfect time when great demand is presented as a result of establishment of Arizona BioDesign Institute (AZ Bio-Design) and recent expansion of ASU biomedical research activities. A major user group consisting of eight NIH grantees has been formed, of whom seven are the investigators on this grant application (see below). The research activities of this group involve identification of potential chromosomal translocation during attempted V(D)J recombination events; development of vaccines against HBV and smallpox; determination of functional activity of Heat-Shock Protein 20 in smooth muscle relaxation; identification of molecular targets of anti-cancer drugs; construction and screening recombinant phage-display antibodies for treating neurodegenerative diseases; assessment of psychotherapy in treating Rheumatoid Arthritis and characterization of outer membrane proteins in bacterial antibiotic resistance. In addition, other investigators at ASU will use this equipment to assist their studies in protein delivery, photosynthesis and immune modulation. The requested instrument will greatly enhance the ability of NIH grantees and other investigators at ASU to perform their research activities and to explore new research directions that would not be possible otherwise. This instrument will be part of a core facility of AZ Bio-Design, and will be administered by an internal advisory committee at AZ Bio-Design. Cost will be shared among NIH users, AZBioDesign and the university. To maximize the usage of this core facility, we will continue our effort to expand the user group, including researchers outside the campus.
