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

The requested Biochrom Ultrospec 4300 pro UV/Visible Spectrophotometer will be used for measurement of enzyme activities, estimation of metabolite concentrations in subcellular compartments of plant cells, determination of kinetic parameters of enzymes and calculation of metabolic fluxes in the cell. The instrument will be placed in the Laboratory of Plant Metabolism at Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Ultrospec 4300 pro satisfies high specifications for resolution, noise, stability, wavelength accuracy and reproducibility essential for fine research of plant metabolism and bioenergetics. It is a powerful tool for investigation of enzyme kinetics and calculation of metabolic fluxes based on the metabolic control theory. It will allow evaluating intensities of metabolic pathways in stress-induced processes in different settings. This piece of equipment is an integral component of most physiological and biochemical work aimed at understanding operation of bioenergetic organelles, such as mitochondria and peroxisomes. The availability of Biochrom Ultrospec 4300 will promote research on adaptation of trees and cereal crops to environmental stresses, including the hypoxic stress, drought, and pathogens. It will be also used for research of photosynthetic bacteria and plant-insect interactions.