Principal Investigator: Bruce Wightman
Sponsor: Muhlenberg College
Start/End Date: Dec. 1, 2008 – Nov. 30, 2010
Amount to Date: $85,910
Title: Integration of Bioinformatics into a Biology Curriculum
The university's departments of biology, chemistry, and mathematics and computer science are integrating bioinformatics into their biology and biochemistry classes. The curricular goals are supported by a new genomics and proteomics core laboratory featuring real-time PCR and 2D gel electrophoresis.
"The over-arching mission is to educate more quantitatively-literate biology students," according to the abstract, and "familiarity with basic bioinformatics and computational approaches is increasingly a necessity for professionals in a range of areas related to the life sciences."
Principal Investigator: John Toscano
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University
Start/End Date: Feb. 1, 2009 – Jan. 31, 2012
Amount to Date: $260,000
Title: Purchase of a Research Grade MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer
The instrument is expected to provide routine and specialized analytical mass spectrometry services to about 23 users at the university from five departments and users from nearby institutions. Uses for the instrument include studies in HNO-induced modifications of proteins involved in cardiac signaling pathways.
Principal Investigator: Christopher Makaroff
Sponsor: Miami University (Ohio)
Start/End Date: Feb. 1, 2009 – Jan. 31, 2012
Amount to Date: $326,625
Title: Acquisition of a MALDI-TOF/TOF MS Spectrometer
The instrument will be used for studies into membrane proteins and peptides, ribosomal proteins and proteins involved in zinc transport, and protein interactions, among other things.