DNA sequence analysis has become an essential tool in many areas of biological research. This award funds the purchase of a Perkin-Elmer ABI 377 DNA sequencer to be used by researchers in biology at the University of Hawaii. The sequencer will be placed in the Biotechnology/Molecular Biology Instrumentation and Training facility. The projects to be supported by this instrument include (1) exotic pest identification using genetic methods based on the polymerase chain reaction, (2) identification of symbiosis-induced bacterial genes in Vibrio fischeri, (3) molecular systematics of Hawaiian flora, (4) plant transformation technology for reduced variation of transgene expression, and (5) site directed mutagenesis and protein expression system to produce novel human serum albumin species. These projects, and others making use of the new DNA sequencer, will enhance not only the research infrastructure at the University of Hawaii, but also training efforts through the Pacific Biomedical Research Center and the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Program.
