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

The great diversity of fatty acids (FA), their conservation during digestion, biochemical restrictions, and in some cases unique origin among plants and animals, has fostered much of the research in my lab. My early research indicated that "FA signatures" might overcome the limitations of existing methods of studying predator-prey relationships and the structure of food webs. The use of capillary gas chomatography is an essential analytical tool in my research, as more than 70 FA need to be quantitatively determined. To maintain the productivity of my lab, I request the second of two GCs requested last year. I run about 6000-7000 samples each year (in duplicate) and more than 5000 of those are directly related to NSERC supported research. This high volume of samples requires that I run two GCs, equipped with autosamplers and computer integration, 5-6 days/week. I have one new instrument, awarded by NSERC last year, but I urgently need to replace my obsolete 13 year-old GC that is becoming increasingly unreliable. My lab is at the forefront of the use of fatty acids as an ecological tool and I have collaborations worldwide, involving the training of numerous graduate students and post doctoral fellows.