Instrumentation support is requested to provide semi-automated nucleic acid extraction for the shared Core DNA laboratory of the Immunology Program at Virginia Mason Research Center. This Core facility is designed to coordinate and facilitate the needs of Center investigators for efficient access to materials, particularly cell lines and genomic DNA. This facility employs 1.5 FTE technicians and provides DNA prep, storage and distribution services to participating investigators. The major users of this instrument are Center investigators with shared interests in human immunogenetics. Each related projects for which this instrumentation support is requested. Projects in basic immunogenetics emphasize questions of gene organization and polymorphism among three potentially interrelated sets of multi- gene families: Immunoglobulin VH genes, T cell receptor alpha and bata genes, and class II genes which, in each case, confers essential elements of functional specificity for the immune system. Use of a semi-automated nucleic acid extractor will improve access to materials for all investigators, particularly for DNA from multiple individuals needed for studies of genomic polymorphisms.
