Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Next generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized biology by allowing researchers to rapidly characterize genomes and genetic diversity, gene expression and epigenetic modifications, and even the complex assemblages of interacting organisms found within host species and entire ecosystems. Here, we request a suite of high-throughput equipment needed to undertake three important steps in NGS tissue lysis prior to nucleic acid extraction, sonication to generate appropriately sized DNA or RNA fragments for constructing sequence libraries, and quality control assessment of nucleic acids and sequencing libraries. This equipment is urgently needed to create capacity in NGS for a growing number of researchers, including several early career researchers, to train a large cohort of diverse HQP on in-demand research techniques (thereby providing considerable employment opportunities), and to vastly increase the cost and time efficiency of the research programs of seven faculty.