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

This application is for a Micro-ultracentrifuge that will support the research activities of 5 members of the Infectious Diseases Research Group of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Western Ontario. These researchers are Drs C. Creuzenet, D. Heinrichs, L. Hertel, S. Kim and M. Valvano. These researchers are investigating fundamental questions regarding bacterial and viral pathogenicity. The micro-ultracentrifuge is designed to allow processing of small scale samples for their separation into various cellular fractions, such a membranous, cytoplasmic or periplasmic fractions. These cellular fractionations are important to delineate the cellular location of proteic machineries involved in fundamental processes such as protein secretion, protein glycosylation or glycolipid synthesis, which all impact on the ability of bacteria and viruses to induce disease. Hence, in addition to enhancing our fundamental understanding of these processes, the requested instrument will support research that might lead to novel therapeutic development.