Wesleyan University is the recipient of funds from the Academic Research Infrastructure Program to repair, renovate and modernize key facilities for research and research training in chemistry and the life sciences. Specifically, a large moribund spectroscopy research laboratory will be modernized into a multipurpose advanced instrumentation facility, and selected research laboratories and a greenhouse will be renovated. The effected laboratories are located in the basement and ground floors of the connected Hall-Atwater and Shanklin buildings that comprise part of the Wesleyan Science Center. The advanced instrumentation facility will support research initiatives in physical chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biophysics. Investigative projects that will benefit from the renovations include: NMR studies of the structure and base pair opening events in nucleic acids and NMR studies of damaged DNA, molecular dynamics of DNA and protein-DNA interactions, studies of chemical intermediates in total synthesis, electrochemical mechanistic and synthetic studies, and EPR studies of metalloproteins and model complexes. In a parallel initiative, in conjunction with faculty development in the area of plant genetics and evolutionary biology, the greenhouse and related research space in the Biology Department will be upgraded and renovated to support research in ecophysical and evolutionary studies of plant phenotypic plasticity. Renovations will involve reconfiguring space, upgrading mechanical, electrical, environmental control, and plumbing systems; and installing benches and fixed cabinetry in research laboratories. The improvements for the greenhouse will consist of resurfacing concrete floors, replacing defunct vent motors, actuators, and pad coolers; cleaning and re-sealing the glazing of windows; providing emergency power, and prep and equipment areas. The renovations will have several immediate implications including the consolidation of advanced instruments in a centralized location that will create a locus of research activity. The renovated laboratories will provide a modern environment for faculty, graduate and undergraduate students to conduct research, and will foster collaborative interactions among research personnel across disciplinary lines.
