Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

For a number of years, the NSERCfunded research programs of at least 11 PIs of the Université de Sherbrooke Biology department and their > 80 trainees and staff scientists have been hampered by the limitations of our probe and bath sonicators for their molecular biology, genomics and system biology approaches. Focused-ultrasonicators with Adaptive Focused Acoustics (AFA) are a powerful technology that uses acoustic energy to mechanically process samples. Contrary to traditional sonication systems, the AFA technology employs focused bursts of ultrasonic acoustic energy in a highly controllable and precise isothermal process. As a consequence, experimental protocols are significantly easier to standardize, results are highly reproducible, and more challenging methods can be implemented using this innovative approach. Ultrasonicators offering the AFA technology can be used in a wide variety of applications and are the method of choice for the mechanical fragmentation of nucleic acids for Next-Generation-Sequencing (NGS). Our research teams use NGS technologies as an everyday investigative tool to address questions in synthetic biology, cancer, reproduction, metabolism, host-microbe interactions, among others. Moreover, AFA technology is an extremely versatile and highly controllable technique that not only standardizes the sample preparation for NGS, but also allows nuclear isolation, biofilm disruption, and drug solubilization as well as a number of other methods. The requested ML230 focused-ultrasonicator will allow methodological advances that will help us to rapidly increase productivity and that will enable new cutting-edge applications. We request funding to purchase this instrument that is otherwise unavailable at the Université de Sherbrooke. Acquisition of this system is essential for our research programs and will enable many new projects as well as contribute in a major way to the training of highly qualified personnel from several laboratories in the Biology department and the Faculty of Sciences of our University.