Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

This request for instrumentation is from three researchers at the University of Manitoba, all of whom study how the metabolism of organisms responds to changes in the environment or altered interactions at the cellular and subcellular level. Aerobic cells, be they in animals like ourselves or fungi, rely on subcellular structures called mitochondria to convert the energy stored in 'food' into a form of energy the cell can use to grow and maintain itself. This process of energy transformation relies on consuming oxygen and therefore measuring the oxygen consumption of life processes can provide key insight into the metabolic processes and demands on cells. This application is for a state-of-the-art combined high-resolution respirometer and integrated fluorometer module. This instrument provides the most accurate and precise measurements of oxygen in solution available, which is essential for the planned experiments. Addition of the fluorometry module will allow researchers to monitor processes like reactive oxygen species formation or exchange of important molecules and ions by cells or mitochondria. By combining these techniques the researchers will be able to link the metabolic function or changes in energy demand to how cells can compensate and meet the demands of disrupted function or changing environmental conditions (such as warming or high levels of toxic ammonia or increased carbon dioxide). The instrument requested would provide essential analytical capacity to the applicants' research programs, which span a vast range of biological diversity from fungi, to invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Furthermore, this requested instrumentation would support Canada's research efforts on a wide range of important areas including: the mechanisms of energy transformation, the cause of free radical formation by mitochondria and the projected consequences of climate change on aquatic organisms at the cellular level, as well as, the organism's potential adaptive resistance to these environmental stresses. Support for this research, by providing the requested equipment, would help maintain Canada's place as a World leader in Discovery Science.