This award will provide funds to a group of scientists who direct microchemical facilities that serve large numbers of investigators at their own and other institutions. The funds will be used to obtain and distribute synthetic peptides useful for measuring the sensitivity and accuracy of protein sequencing procedures at these and many similar facilities, and to increase cooperation and contact between such facilities. The overall aim of the project is to increase the quality of service provided by the facilities. The use of microchemical techniques for the sequencing and synthesis of protein and DNA now occupies an important role in modern biology. Because of the substantial investment in equipment and personnel required, such work is most often performed in central facilities that serve a large group of investigators. There are now over a hundred such facilities in the U.S. This award will help insure that the service provided by each is of a uniform high quality and is consistent with the state of the art in protein sequencing.
