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

This grant will purchase a cell lysis apparatus that will be used to break open a wide range of cell types without damaging their contents, and a multiplex array reader that conducts a broad variety of molecular bioassays. These pieces of equipment are a logical pairing, as quality lysis of cells is required for downstream cellular and molecular bioassays using the multiplex array reader. The equipment requested is vital to research programs being conducted at three local universities and will serve as a means of integrating molecular biology, bioinformatics, and biochemical data at the cellular, physiological, and whole organism levels. The systems will be part of a common equipment room at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) and will be used by researchers at WLU, the University of Waterloo (UW), and the University of Guelph (UG). The cell lysis apparatus will replace an aging French Press to improve lysate quality derived from bacterial, fungal, plant, and animal cells. A multiplex array reader is not currently available at WLU, UW or UG. This cutting edge technology will enable bio-molecular interactions (ie. protein-protein and nucleic acid-protein) to be studied quickly and efficiently. These shared, accessible, research facility instruments will contribute to the training of HQP in the applicants' laboratories, as well as Integrative Biology graduate program trainees. The equipment will also contribute to developing collaborations between new and established investigators and facilitate cross-training of HQP between institutions. Research by the applicants uses a variety of systems (e.g. viruses, fish, plants, fungi, and bacteria) to address research questions about immunity, environmental stress, disease, molecular interactions, pathogen detection, and protein structure and function. Therefore, the equipment requested will help scientists explore multi-disciplinary research questions across institutions.