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

Mass spectrometry is an analytical tool increasingly used in biological sciences. This equipment grant application is for the purchase of a new mass spectrometer to replace an aging existing instrument used by a community of researchers working in the field of microbiology. Under the responsibility of the principal investigator, seven co-applicants and their research teams will use this instrument for the study of various microbial products and phenomena such as the production of biosurfactants, the release of molecules used by microorganisms to communicate with each other, the biodegradation of environmental pollutants that affect our hormonal systems, the synthesis of iron sequestering molecules used by bacteria and involved in infections, the activity of microbial enzymes that can have industrial applications, the biodegradation of halogenated pollutants and the synthesis of molecular probes for the detection of viruses. This instrument will be used by researchers and students, and analytical services will be offered to the industry. It will also be used for teaching purposes.