Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

We are requesting funding to purchase replacement equipment of the Laurier Molecular Imaging Platform, which is anchored by the gel imaging system and multi-mode plate reader. This has been an integral part of the Laurier Science Research Centre since 2010, serving researchers working in molecular genetics, cell biology and biochemistry in all domains of life. However, we have encountered sustained technical and sensitivity issues for the past few years, urgently requiring their replacement. We cannot perform our research, train our HQP, or achieve all objectives of our NSERC-funded programs without this equipment. The Platform will be used for research on molecular mechanisms governing how organisms (from prokaryotes to eukaryotes) interact with and respond to dynamically changing biotic and abiotic environments, a central theme of our emerging research strength on Food Safety, Security and Sustainability. To fundamentally understand these biological processes, we have been investigating diverse aspects of plant, animal and bacterial physiology, ranging from protein trafficking to immune signalling and from microbial pathogenesis to vertebrate chemosensing. These molecular pathways require instrumentation to isolate and visualize DNA/RNA/proteins (gel imaging system) and characterize their function, interactions and activity (plate reader). Specifically, the Applicants aim to: (1) characterize novel regulators of plant immunity and growth; (2) elucidate mechanisms of environmental responses in animals and plants; (3) understand the dynamics of host-microbe interactions in human and plant diseases; and (4) engineer genetic technologies for organismal resilience. The Platform will enable the research activities of five Applicants' labs currently representing ~30 HQP. The equipment will be primarily used by the Applicants' labs, as well as support diverse research programs of Laurier colleagues in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry/Biochemistry and Health Science. Collectively, the Applicants and our colleagues can advance our research objectives. Our HQP will acquire and enhance their knowledge and skills in conducting research using the requested equipment together with other cutting-edge technologies, which should prepare them for their dream careers. The anticipated outcomes of the research activities are elucidating molecular/cellular players and mechanisms of organismal responses to a changing environment, characterizing their resilience to climate warming and anthropogenic change, and providing highly important hands-on HQP training. These outcomes will have broad implications and benefits to the research field because it will provide foundational mechanistic targets and candidate molecular factors for plant-, animal- and microbe-based technologies. Overall, our research activities are important for Canada and globally because these will inform sustainability and resilience initiatives in agriculture, human health and bioconservation.