This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The Center for Interdisciplinary Molecular Biology Education, Research and Advancement (CIMERA) is a research equipment facility shared among faculty from the departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry at California State University, Sacramento. CIMERA is housed in an eight-room suite in the basement of Sequoia Hall originally built as an animal care facility. The original design of the suite limits its utility as a cell and molecular biology laboratory. Recent funding for additional cell analysis and cell culture equipment, and recent expansion of student/faculty research and research training activities, necessitates expanding and updating the facility. Funds are provided to allow the CIMERA facility to expand and modernize. The renovation involves (1) removing an incinerator, unusual floor and loft, autoclave and cage washer to generate additional space to allow expansion of the cell analysis and mammalian and bacterial cell culture laboratories, (2) updating the ceiling, lighting, flooring, electrical service and network connectivity to a standard appropriate for a modern molecular cell biology laboratory and (3) updating the benches, cabinetry and plumbing for use as a molecular cell biology laboratory. These renovations will create: a modern cell analysis laboratory, an expanded the mammalian cell culture laboratory, a large equipment room, a bacterial cell culture laboratory, and a modernization of the molecular biology laboratory. The facility provides basic cell culture, molecular biology and cell analysis equipment that support the research programs of 16 faculty, addressing fundamental problems such as the molecular events of vertebrate egg fertilization, the structure and function of apolipoprotein A-I, cellular differentiation during embryogenesis and fundamental techniques in forensic DNA analysis. In addition, the facility supports five different research training programs, several of which are targeted at underrepresented groups that provide undergraduate and Master's-level students with independent or semi-independent research experiences. These renovations will enhance the research programs of participating faculty and the training of their students, resulting in the ability to provide research experiences for approximately 20 additional students. This project will advance individual faculty research programs addressing fundamental problems in protein biochemistry, molecular and cell biology and forensic molecular biology. Furthermore, the renovation will enhance the research training of undergraduate and Master's level students by providing a modern molecular and cell biology equipment facility. It will increase the involvement of underrepresented groups in the sciences by providing specific research training experiences to students from underrepresented groups at Sacramento State and transferring from local community colleges.
The Center for Interdisciplinary Molecular Biology Education, Research and Advancement (CIMERA) is a research equipment facility shared among faculty from the departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry at California State University, Sacramento. The facility provides basic cell culture, molecular biology and cell analysis equipment that support the research programs of 16 faculty, addressing fundamental problems such as the molecular events of vertebrate egg fertilization, the structure and function of apolipoprotein A-I, cellular differentiation during embryogenesis and fundamental techniques in forensic DNA analysis. In addition, the facility supports five different research training programs, several of which are targeted at underrepresented groups, that provide undergraduate and Master's-level students with independent or semi-independent research experiences. CIMERA is housed in an eight-room suite in the basement of Sequoia Hall. Originally built as an animal care facility, the suite has been modified to house (1) a general molecular biology laboratory (2) a bacterial cell culture laboratory with incubators, cell growth monitoring and cell lysis equipment, (3) a mammalian cell culture/cell analysis laboratory with incubators, biosafety cabinets and microscopes, (4) a large equipment room containing centrifuges, lyophilizers, a -80° freezer and refrigerators, and (5) a central services corridor with glassware cleaning and supply storage areas. However, the original design of the suite as an animal care facility limits its utility as a cell and molecular biology laboratory. Two rooms are minimally used by CIMERA: one houses a non-functional animal carcass incinerator and another has an unusual floor layout and overhang for housing large animal cages that prevent any use other than storage. The facility also has a disabled large autoclave and cage washer that takes up significant floor area. Throughout the facility the lighting, flooring and electrical service are substandard for a molecular biology facility, and only three rooms are wired to the campus computer network. Finally, the benches and cabinetry are substandard for a modern molecular biology laboratory. Recent funding for additional cell analysis and cell culture equipment, and recent expansion of student/faculty research and research training activities, necessitated expanding and updating the facility. In this project, the CIMERA facility was expanded and modernized by (1) removing the incinerator, unusual floor and loft, autoclave and cage washer to generate 400 ft2 of additional usable space to expand the cell analysis and mammalian and bacterial cell culture laboratories, (2) updating the ceiling, lighting, flooring, electrical service and network connectivity to a standard appropriate for a modern molecular and cell biology laboratory and (3) updating the benches, cabinetry and plumbing for use as a molecular biology laboratory. Demolition and Contruction phases were completed within the project budget. These improvements enhanced the research programs of participating faculty and the training of their students, resulting in the ability to provide research experiences for approximately 20% additional students. The attached photos document the renovated facility.
