In the current era of burgeoning proteomics and genomics efforts, the needs of campus researchers for custom peptides is expanding at a great rate. Funds are requested to purchase a state-of-the-art peptide synthesizer and a combinatorial peptide synthesizer to meet the synthetic needs of a large group of NIH funded researchers at UW-Madison. The equipment would be housed in the existing Peptide Synthesis core facility of the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center. A full-time PhD level Facility Manager oversees this facility. In addition, there are two full-time support staff and two student hourly employees. The facility has witnessed a remarkable increase in the campus demand for custom peptides. The number of peptides synthesized has grown steadily from 183 peptides in 1996 to over a thousand in the year 2003. Over the past 12 months the core facility has made peptides for approximately 50 campus research groups, representing 25 different departments. Current demand already exceeds the capacity of the facility and some of the existing equipment is nearing the end of its useful life. In addition to full custom synthesis carried out by core lab personnel on a cost recovery basis, the peptide core lab also offers a unique program of """"""""do-it-yourself"""""""" peptide synthesis. Under this program, graduate students in the laboratories of the primary and secondary users are trained by the core facility personnel to operate the synthesizers and carry out their own synthesis in the core lab at reduced cost.
