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

Superspeed centrifugation is a technique for spinning samples at high speeds, up to 10,000s of revolutions per minute. The spinning creates very high centrifugal forces, causing different particles in the samples to move at different speeds, depending on their size, shape and density. In biochemical applications of centrifugation, the particles can vary in size from whole cells (e.g. from bacteria, yeast, insect or mammals), to sub-cellular particles (e.g. various pieces of broken cells), to smaller assemblies of molecules (e.g. proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, inhibitors, drugs and nanomaterials) with different net sizes and compositions. Due to its great power to separate many types of particles, superspeed centrifugation is very widely used in academic and industrial settings for preparing and analyzing samples of biomolecules. The groups of the 9 co-applicants use centrifugation very extensively, and on a routine daily basis, to prepare and analyze many samples of diverse molecules. Thus, centrifugation is an essential prerequisite for our research. The molecules include numerous proteins (e.g. different enzymes), nucleic acids, and biomaterials, and interact with a large variety of other molecules. Our research is centred on determining the structure and interactions of many biomolecules, which are of great interest for a wide range of fundamental biological, biotechnological and medical applications. The requested centrifuge is an essential replacement for a 19-year old centrifuge which recently reached the natural end of its safe, usable lifetime. The replacement instrument is ideally configured for our multi-user environment and the many applications of centrifugation required for our research, and it will provide much needed, reliable access to centrifugation with enhanced, modern functionality. It will benefit society by providing valuable, hands-on training in using this key tool, for a great many personnel, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, technicians and research associates in our own groups (currently, 68 trainees) and others, and by advancing numerous important lines of research.