Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

If DNA is considered the blueprint of life then proteins, which are the products of the genes encoded in DNA, are the engines that power life. The vast majority of molecular events that support organismal life, from viruses to man, involve the functions of proteins. Therefore, and especially in the post-genomic era, the capacity to study protein structure and function is of fundamental importance. Indeed, the development of molecular biological, biochemical, and structural tools to go from identification of a putative gene in a genome to determining the molecular details of how the encoded protein functions has not only transformed our understanding of life but has enabled us to harness the use of proteins as, for example, biotechnological tools to improve the lives of humans. * The NSERC-funded research programs of Boraston, Boulanger, and Burke are diverse and span the study of proteins and carbohydrates involved biomass turnover, cellular signalling, and protein engineering. In the long term, we anticipate that the outcomes of our research will include novel insights into basic biological processes; new approaches to generating sustainable bioproducts; and new technologies to treat bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections, all of which provide potential benefits to Canadians by either improving their health or their environment.* Central to our research programs is the ability to isolate proteins and carbohydrates in pure form, and this requires specialized instrumentation. To this end, our laboratories are requesting funds for two liquid chromatography systems to purify proteins and other macromolecules. These two new instruments will replace three old, broken, and obsolete instruments, which were once the key centerpieces of a facility for macromolecule structural and functional studies because they were critical for obtaining pure samples for analysis. Obtaining the two replacement instruments is essential to restoring the intensive nature of our NSERC-funded research programs and enabling our studies aimed at uncovering the molecular details of biological processes. *