Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

We are requesting funding to purchase an oligosynthesizer.  This instrument is essential to Dr. Jean-Paul Desaulniers' research in Chemical Biology at Ontario Tech University, which has been/is funded by NSERC programs (DG, Engage, CRD, and I2I), Ontario Tech's Research Excellence Chair Program, the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP), New Frontiers in Research Frontiers (NFRF), and industrial partnership contracts.  The requested oligosynthesizer will also expand the research program of Dr. Theresa Stotesbury, which is funded by NSERC DG and DAS, NSERC Discovery Horizons, and NFRF. The oligosynthesizer will enable the synthesis of both short and long chemically-modified oligonucleotides for both Drs. Desaulniers' and Stotesbury's research programs, and collaborators at Ontario Tech (Drs. Simmons and Forrester). Currently, Drs. Desaulniers and Stotesbury's research group are using an obsolete Applied Biosystems 394 Oligosynthesizer that was manufactured in 1991.  Valves and lines are broken, making synthesis especially challenging and unreliable. Complete instrument failure is imminent. Already, delays in synthesizing oligonucleotides have occurred due to the ancient instrument, which is affecting productivity in their respective research programs.  There is currently no other equipment or facility nearby that would support this. Thus, a delay in acquiring this equipment will cause significant hardship to Dr. Desaulniers' established research program and Dr. Stotesbury's relatively new research program. Dr. Desaulniers' research program focuses on developing chemically-modified oligonucleotides for gene-silencing, gene-activating, and gene-editing applications, cellular delivery, and more broadly understanding new structure-activity relationships with oligonucleotides. Over the last three years, Dr. Desaulniers' has submitted three patents (1 awarded, 2 pending) on his work on developing chemically-modified oligonucleotides.  Dr. Desaulniers' research program also includes monitoring wastewater pathogens (in collaboration with Drs. Simmons and Kirkwood), in which they are currently developing new chemically-modified oligos for increased detection and sensitivity.  Dr. Stotesbury's research program involves developing new chemically-modified nucleic acid-based biomaterials for forensic applications.  Thus, the requested oligosynthesizer is imperative to maintain and expand these research themes. Over the next 5 years, the requested oligosynthesizer will support the training of at least 30 HQP, including undergraduates in the combined research groups of Drs. Desaulniers and Stotesbury. Training for all HQP will include hands-on training, in addition to specialized training involving handling and optimization of chemical phosphoramidites for the oligosynthesizer. Drs. Desaulniers and Stotesbury provide training that is inclusive to all members, and create research teams that are balanced in gender, culture and social diversity.