Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Metagenomics has enabled microbial ecologists and molecular geneticists to better understand microbial community composition and function and, importantly, directly access myriad environmental genes and enzymes responsible for catalyzing metabolic reactions of potential commercial value. The Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo has multiple research groups mining microbial communities through DNA extraction, PCR screening, sample preparation for next-generation sequencing, metagenomic library manipulations and water chemistry assays. Our research has become severely constrained, cost-ineffective, and a potential health liability for our highly qualified personnel due to the complete lack of high-throughput capacity. A liquid-handling robot with an associated mixer mill would enable essential research that is currently impossible or extremely time consuming, affecting the training of nearly all highly qualified personnel trained in affected research groups.