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

A critical step towards defining new functions for biologically important molecules is the ability to specifically isolate or separate these molecules from the large number of other molecules that are present in a cell. This can be an extremely challenging task for researchers because in many cases the specific molecule that you are interested in studying may only be present in very small quantities. Specialized research equipment, such as a liquid chromatography system, is required to perform these high-resolution biological separations. This equipment has been specifically designed to exploit the subtle differences in physical and chemical properties between different macromolecules. A high-performance liquid chromatography purification system will provide my research group with the ability to purify protein-RNA complexes which have essential functions in cells. It will also provide other researchers at the University of Lethbridge with the ability to separate, manipulate, quantify, and identify other types of biological molecules. Within the biology department alone, this purification system will also be used as a tool to investigate the consequences of DNA damage in cancer biology and study the important proteins that regulate leaf development in model plant species. This equipment will provide students with invaluable training and expertise in using state-of-the art protein purification equipment applicable to a multitude of scientific disciplines.