The pace of gene identification has greatly eclipsed the rate at which functional and structural information is generated. Considerable recent effort has therefore focused on genome-scale parallel analysis of the structure and function of numerous gene products. Many of these approaches involve analysis of large (10/3 - 10/6) sample sets, and are only practical with the aid of robotic systems that can that can reliably assemble and manipulate large sample arrays. The flexible automation afforded by contemporary robotic systems permits large scale screening of compound libraries, comprehensive two hybrid, synthetic lethal, and co-precipitation analysis with ordered libraries of yeast strains, direct identification of protein kinase phosphorylation targets, comprehensive biochemical analysis, large scale cloning, mutagenesis, and expression of proteins, and exhaustive evaluation of protein crystallization conditions. A number of researchers at Northwestern University's Evanston campus intend to pursue projects that use well-established high-throughput approaches, and would like to develop novel methodologies employing process automation. However, no shared capability for high-throughput analysis presently exists at the Evanston campus. This proposal requests funding for robotics equipment that will allow investigators at Northwestern University to pursue a broad range of automated approaches. We are requesting a Beckman BioMek FX robotic workstation equipped with appropriate extensions to perform a wide range of liquid handling and cell transfer operations. We are also requesting a Genetix Qpix2 colony picking robot, to assemble and rearray ordered libraries. The requested instrumentation will be run and managed as part of the Keck Biophysics Facility, a highly developed core resource that manages shared access to a wide range of advanced instrumentation at Northwestern.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Type
Biomedical Research Support Shared Instrumentation Grants (S10)
Project #
1S10RR019303-01
Application #
6731463
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SSS-G (30))
Program Officer
Tingle, Marjorie
Project Start
2004-04-01
Project End
2005-03-31
Budget Start
2004-04-01
Budget End
2005-03-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$417,295
Indirect Cost
Name
Northwestern University at Chicago
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
160079455
City
Evanston
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60201