Proposal

Narrative

Summary: PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology is an essential part of biotechnology. Due to relocation of a large portion of of the biology faculty to Jupiter campus, teaching labs at Boca no longer have access to a real-time quantitative PCR instrument for students and faculty. Acquisition of this instrument ($24,050) will fill a significant gap in lab facility in Biology Department at Boca and will greatly enhance students’ learning experience and training and research in biology, particularly genetics and biotechnology.

As biomedical sciences and biotechnology become a major economic and job driver in south Florida, the number of students taking biology classes has increased constantly for many years. Consequently there is a growing demand for lab courses of high quality and sophistication from undergraduate and graduate students. A well-equipped teaching lab is needed to provide students with hands-on participation in real world research using state-of-art technologies and equipment and offer the best possible science education through lab courses, Directed Independent Study courses, and Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) program or Honor program-associated fellowship/internship with faculty. State of art labs also symbolize the aspiration and expectation of our school for every student the moment he/she steps into the lab.

The teaching labs in Biological Sciences on Boca campus have been gradually upgraded over the years. But we still need to catch up rapid advance in biotechnology by improving lab exercises of biotechnology courses. Ever since a large number of biology (neural science) faculty moved to Jupiter along with lab equipment two years ago, we at Boca have experienced a significant handicap in biotech labs due to loss of access to a ubiquitous, modern genetic analysis system real-time quantitative PCR.  This quandary is particularly acute at a time when FAU is poised to be the first choice for many college applicants by promising cutting-edge research experience and training in Science and Technology.  In order to improve our lab facility for biotechnology teaching on Boca campus, I request support for purchasing a real-time PCR instrument (Bio-Rad CFX96™) at an estimated cost of $24,050, that can be used by courses of Biotechnology I and II Labs (BSC4403L and BSC4427L), Plant Physiology Lab (BOT4503L), Plant Biotechnology (BOT4734C), Vascular Plant Anatomy Lab (BOT3223L), Plant Taxonomy Lab (BOT4713), Genetics Lab (BSC 4007L), Marine Microbiology and Molecular Biology Lab (OCB4525L), Marine Biology Lab (OCB 4043L), Marine Botany Lab (BOT4404L), Methods in Biotechnology (BSC 6468), Advanced Plant Biotechnology (BOT 6736C), Advanced Plant Physiology Lab (BOT 6506L)  and Direct Independent Study (BSC4905), as well as students working on projects with faculty members. Addition of this moderately-priced key instrument will enhance the overall lab execution and learning experience for many students.

The real-time quantitative PCR, also known as qPCR, is based on the Nobel prize-winning technology of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that combines PCR amplification and detection into a single step. As compared to the “old” gel electrophoresis-based detection, the instrument measures the accumulation of fluorescent signal during the reactions in real time for fast, precise quantification of products (DNA) and objective data analysis. It is sensitive, as low as a single copy gene can be detected. It is flexible with unlimited real-time chemistry choices. It is robust, up to 96 samples can be assayed at once. It is fast, the experiment can be done in as little as 40 min. And it is versatile, samples can be collected from any sources-plants, animals, microbes and anywhere-soils, sands from beaches, waters from swimming pool, lake, river or ocean. Therefore, qPCR instruments have become a routine powerful tool for genetic analysis in hospitals, police labs as well as research and teaching labs in universities.

This instrument is particularly suitable for teaching labs. Students can process and analyze samples by themselves and see the experiment progress in real time displayed on the screen. Students will learn the basic principles of genetics, genes and gene activity. They will learn how to design and operate analysis programs, how to analyze fluorescence image and how to mathematically calculate gene copy numbers and gene activities. They will get hands-on training in solving both biological and computational/mathematic questions. The addition of this equipment to our existing teaching labs will greatly upgrade our lab capability and increase the sophistication of biotechnology training. Each student will have more hands-on time, generate more data during the lab time, improve their learning efficiency, and enhance the depth and quality of students’ research projects. As FAU puts more efforts on participation of undergraduate students in research and knowledge inquiry in the forms of undergraduate research grant and QEP programs, addition of the qPCR instrument will not only improve biology teaching, but also help faculty to attract and retain more undergraduate students in biology labs and benefit students who do research on Boca campus.

How is this project aligned with the FAU's Strategic Plan?

This request for an equipment purchase is perfectly aligned with three of four FAU strategic goals and fits nicely in two signature theme areas: marine and costal issues and biotechnology.

Strategic plan goal I: Enrich the educational experience with objectives to (A) Enhance the quality of undergraduate academic programs and (B) Strengthen and expand graduate programs.

Best teaching and research environment is always attractive to the best students. This versatile equipment will enrich our current undergraduate lab curriculums that allow up to a hundred undergraduates and more than a dozen of graduate students each year the opportunity to personally carry out their lab experiments in various topics, analyze data and better understand the concept and knowledge underlying these lab assignments. It will sharpen their mathematic, computational, and programming skills in solving real world questions of complexity in biology, all of which are valuable attributes necessary for students to engage in research and knowledge inquiry. Addition of a top-notch instrument would also offer students a taste of “cool” technology in biological research, which may help ignite their aspiration in a career in STEM.

Strategic plan goal II: Inspire research, scholarship and creative activity with objectives to (A) Increase scholarship and creativity and (E) Involve students at all levels in research, scholarship and creative activity.

Acquisition of this instrument conforms to the strategic goal to “maintain and strengthen the necessary facilities and equipment for faculty, researchers and students to engage in research, scholarship, and creative activity”. Inevitably, biotechnology will become a primary driver of Florida's sustainable economic growth.  FAU has designated marine and coastal issues and biotechnology as two of three signature theme areas, and has embarked significant efforts in drug discovery and biomedical research. A modern teaching lab is essential for training our students to have the necessary technical skills and aptitude. With this instrument, students will learn to better understand the genetic and chemical nature of plant, marine and animal systems, their interactions with the environment and how to analyze and interpret data scientifically, beyond classroom lectures. The lab upgraded with this equipment system will provide students with an expanded toolbox to grasp what they can achieve with the advancing technology and to be mentally and intellectually prepared in the real world job market. At the very least, having actually used a modern analysis system like qPCR will help some students to better understand the science behind forensic/crime investigation TV dramas like “CSI”, “NCIS”  and “Law and Order”!

Needless to say that addition of a 21^st-century equipment to our teaching labs will help elevate the level of our still improving teaching facility for multidiscipline biological research on Boca campus. In no small measure, as far as students are concerned, a “cool” lab equipment such as a touch-screen qPCR could bring a “bragging” right to FAU undergraduate students and serve as a recruitment pitch for prospective biology students.

Strategic plan goal IV: Good stewards of its human, technological, physical and financial resources with an objective to build and sustain a state-of-the–art information technology infrastructure 

This versatile, multifunction equipment serves numerous lab courses to many students. It is a cost effective investment with both tangible and intangible returns. By helping our most treasured resource---students to have access to modern technology and research tools and become a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, FAU is contributing to the better future of our economy and society. After all, upgrading teaching labs with the computer based, digital format qPCR system, instead of the “old” agarose gel-based detection, is long overdue for the new touch-screen imaging age of student population. A more attractive lab facility will encourage students to study more, to stay on course and to graduate on time, which is part of efforts, however small it may seem, to make FAU the better place for human resources enrichments, technological advancement and financial investment.

Facilities

No renovations or upgrades are needed.

Hardware Requirements

This instrument is self contained. No extra hardware is required.

Software Requirements

Personnel Costs

This instrument comes with a free on-site training of instructors and teaching assistants with the field application scientist, and will be operated by the instructors and/or teaching assistants. No extra personnel is required.

Other Costs

There will be no extra cost associated with implement of this equipment, just plug in and play! The equipment comes with two-year supplies for plastics (tubes and plates). Afterwards, the cost for reaction reagents and other consumables will be covered by individual courses with lab fees (for teaching) or faculty’s own research fund (for research). 

Timeline

February 27, 2015, awards announced.

Within 4 weeks of fund approval, the qPCR system, chosen from several quotations, will be ordered. Within two weeks of its arrival, it will be set up, tested and ready to use for summer semester, 2015.

Sustainability

This equipment has open-source software that provides an unprecedented level of automation and flexibility. Its powerful networking capabilities provide a variety of data output, file sharing, remote diagnostics and training. The manufacturer offers free software update and downloads. Its compact size requires no additional set-up or space in the lab (see a sample photo in “Supporting Documentation”). The equipment comes with at least two-year supplies for plastics (tubes and plates). Afterwards, the moderate cost for reaction reagents and other consumables will be covered by individual courses with lab fees (for teaching) and faculty’s own research fund (for research).

Resource Matching

Not applicable.

Implementing Organization