Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The capacity to analyse cell growth is the cornerstone of most genetic screens and an essential step for characterizing gene function and contribution to cell biology. Growth patterns in liquid media of single cell organisms like bacteria and yeast reveals essential information about how different genes contribute to cell function. Indeed, growth curves reveal key insights about the physiological and metabolic functions of singles cell organisms. Using a unique cluster of microplate spectrophotometers equipped with shaker and real time sampling fitted with our home-made growth analysis software we performed thousands of growth curves of yeast and bacterial cells for tens of researchers at the Université de Sherbrooke, and coached dozens of graduate students in their studies of gene and cell function. The goal of this application is to replace our defective liquid growth curve analysis cluster in order to maintain our phenotypic platform as a service to all researchers at the Université de Sherbrooke. It is essential for our institution to keep its capacity to provide microbial cells analysis solution in order to maintain the NSERC-funded research programs using bacterial and yeast model systems. *We are requesting funds to replace a cluster of 12 BioTek PowerWave plate-readers that we have used for the last 16 years to support the study of yeast and bacterial cell growth with a cluster of 8 modern high-capacity machines. Our current plate-readers are discontinued, and spare parts are no longer available for repairs. There are no systems with similar configurations available on campus and without them, the whole pipeline of growth assays and analyses essential to complete our NSERC-funded research will cease to function. The new machines will ensure continued service to the 10 labs at the faculty of medicine and tens of different research group across the Université de Sherbrooke. Most importantly, the requested equipment will permit the continuation of our unique graduate training programs, which was recently funded by NSERC CREATE program. In summary, the requested machines are absolutely needed as replacements for basic equipment essential for supporting the research and training programs funded by NSERC.*