Proposal

Narrative

Funds totaling $50,738.97 are sought for a freeze dryer condenser and SpeedVac concentrator to enhance teaching and research. Tiny Earth (aka TE; https://tinyearth.wisc.edu/) at FAU (http://biology.fau.edu/tiny_earth/fau.php) engages undergraduate non-STEM majors in research-intensive labs (RI:BSC1005L, 384 students/yr) led by Dr. Diane Lowell. Undergraduate (BSC 4910) and graduate STEM majors are on the TE Team and also perform soil studies (40 students/yr). Since fall 2016, 1,000+ undergraduates have engaged in antibiotic discovery and found 750+ antibiotic-producing microbes! Currently, only half of bacterial organic extractions are processed/analyzed. Alexis Martin, (DIR funded by OURI) proved antibiotic activity of the other half with Paul Scesa (Chemistry Ph.D. student). The requested equipment will allow efficient extractions to enhance research/inquiry and build critical thinking skills by complex analysis. Extracts will be fractionated with Dr. Lyndon West’s lab (Dept, Chem and Biochem) to yield pure antibiotics. A SpeedVac will rapidly concentrate samples for screening and provide them to RI:BSC1005L students and other FAU courses including Dr. West’s Organic Spectroscopy (CHM4933-6380 with 20 students/yr). Alignment with FAU Strategic Plan 1. Boldness: This project will improve TE team scholarship (40 graduate and DIR students/yr) and benefit >3,000 undergraduates in 5 years with enriched critical thinking skills. 2. Synergy: ~10,000 students/yr, world-wide, are involved in TE. FAU’s TE partners with Drs. Daniela Scheurle (MCB3020L, 200 students/yr) and West. More interdisciplinary alliances will advance FAU’s undergraduate teaching and research enterprise. 3. Place: TE aims to fight antimicrobial resistance, one of the top ten global risks to human health (https://www.who.int/emergencies/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-2019). 4. Brand: Undergraduates will present original research at conferences, publish in peer-reviewed journals and promote FAU.

Facilities

The proposed freeze dryer will be installed in room SC131 (currently used for dry storage) and requires a 240V electrical source. This source is in room SC130 and will be redirected to room SC131 to accommodate. Please see quote in Supporting Documentation for details.

Hardware Requirements

There are no hardware requirements.

Software Requirements

There are no software requirements.

Personnel Costs

There are no personnel costs; existing personnel will use the requested equipment. The Department of Biological Sciences will continue to support staffing with graduate teaching assistants as determined necessary.

Other Costs

See attached quotes in Supporting Documentation for the following: VirTis Feezemobile 25EL Freeze Dryer Condenser Model FM25EL $27,597. Single Preventative Maintenance Contract for Above Freeze Dryer Condenser $2,473. Fisher Scientific SpeedVac SPD210P1 INTG System and Rotor $13,252.82. Extended Warranty and PM Centrifuge for Above SpeedVac (5 Years) $4,782.45. Thomas Scientific Freeze Drying Flasks, Adapters and Filter Paper $1,373.70. Worx Electrical Install 6-20R Dedicated Circuit Receptacle/Electrical Renovations $900.

Timeline

If this proposal is awarded, the requested equipment will be ordered immediately upon receipt of the funds. There are no special installation procedures, so the equipment will be used instantly.

Sustainability

The use of Tiny Earth (TE) in the Life Science (non-STEM) labs is sustainable and has decreased the DFW rates at increasing percentages over four semesters (see Table 1 in Supporting Documentation). This table shows the DFW rates for TE Labs (RI:BSC 1005L) versus the traditional Life Science labs (BSC 1005L) during TE’s first four semesters at FAU. During fall 2016 the TE DFW rate was 57% of the traditional labs, for spring 2017 it was 56%, for fall 2017 it was 28% and for spring 2018 it was 27%. For the past two years, TE has received funds from OURI for two senior graduate research consultants (GRC) to hold extra office hours to help the students with their final Powerpoint presentations. Each GRC advertises and holds two two-hour blocks of office hours specifically dedicated to the students' final presentation development/discussion for the RI labs. FAU’s TE team has developed a web site for the students with links to resources, videos and our own teaching videos: http://biology.fau.edu/tiny_earth/fau.php To encourage reading the required material, the required Tiny Earth Research Guide costs $18.50, less than 25% the cost of the manual required for the traditional Life Science labs ($74.75) in the FAU bookstore. All consumables to be used with this project’s equipment will be paid by the department through lab fees associated with RI:BSC 1005L labs. The department has dedicated Dr. Lowell’s position to TE and continues to support her participation in TE training and activities. This past June, at the Annual Tiny Earth Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, Dr. Lowell presented FAU’s TE results over the past year in a short talk which was well received by members of the TE community.The department continues to support TE with graduate student teaching assistants and has allocated a portion of the existing microbiology preparatory lab (SC111) and a dedicated teaching lab (SC108) to TE.

Resource Matching

All consumables to be used with this equipment will be paid by the department through lab fees associated with RI:BSC 1005L labs. The department has dedicated Dr. Lowell’s position to TE and continues to support her participation in TE training and activities. The department continues to support TE with graduate student teaching assistants. Finally, the department has allocated a portion of the existing microbiology preparatory lab (SC111) and a dedicated teaching lab (SC108) to TE.

Implementing Organization

The Department of Biological Sciences will implement this project.