This award will provide funding for the renovation of the biochemistry laboratories at the Field Museum of Natural History. Established in 1974, the Field Museum's biochemistry laboratories were the first facilities of its kind to be located at a major history museum. The laboratories, a multi-user core facility, serve primarily as a research and training facility for curatorial staff and graduate students conducting basic research in molecular systematics. The original technology offered by the facility, starch gel protein electrophoresis, generated beneficial biochemical character data for phylogentic analyses of closely related species and genera and remains as a valuable and economical technique for biogeography research and population level studies. With the emergence of polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing technologies, essential tools for systematists, the demand for the use of the facilities has increased. In addition to refurbishing laboratory space, renovations will include replacing inadequate casework, modifying electrical and plumbing systems, and installing an effective ventilation and air conditioning system. The modernized facilities will enable researchers to introduce new techniques, refine and maintain polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing technologies, and provide the capabilities for protein electrophoresis. The research capacity of the biochemistry laboratories will increase by expanding opportunities for the Field Museum and Chicago's systematics research communities.
