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

Plants react to their environment and modulate the transcription of their genes to maximize survival and growth. The outcomes of transcriptomic changes results in various proteins being expressed to manufacture the compounds befitting the situation prevailing in the plant environment. Such compounds are termed metabolites and represent a formidable reservoir of millions of molecules present in plants. The equipment requested in the proposal aims the two following goals; 1) monitor plant gene expression 2) quantify the amount and diversity of various metabolites produced by plants. The two laboratories requesting the equipment are led by young professors (hired in 2012 and 2013 respectively) whose research programs are funded by NSERC (Discovery and Engage), FRQNT (Nouveau chercheur) and an institutional research chair (UQTR). While both PI have been successful at obtaining operating grant, they (and their department) lack the adequate equipment to monitor gene expression and metabolome variation despite the fact that these simple equipment are at the basis of their Discovery research program. Both research programs use research-based systems biology such as the integration of transcriptome and metabolome data to elucidate different plant processes. Specifically, Dr. Germain's research program focuses on plant immune response to biotrophic pathogen a process involving the implication of several genes regulated by the phytohormone salicylic acid whose level can only be monitored by HPLC. Dr. Desgagné-Penix research aims the elucidation of biochemical pathways, specifically the biosynthesis of isoquinoline alkaloids (e.g. galanthamine, an Alzheimer's disease drug treatment; narciclasine, an anti-cancer agent; and crinine, an antimicrobial compound) in non-model plants. Successful elucidation of such pathways requires the comparison of gene expression between plant producing (or not) the given metabolite alkaloid (itself monitored by HPLC). Hence, as outlined in their Discovery grant, gene expression and metabolite profiling is crucial to their research program.