EMU: Multi-user equipment for ESALQ Functional Genomics Center

• Grant number: 23/17392-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Infrastructure Program - Small Medium Sized
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
• Grantee: Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Aline Silva Mello Cesar ; Roberto Sartori Filho

Abstract

The Functional Genomics Center of ESALQ has been serving researchers from universities, Embrapa, research institutes, and private sector companies. Over the past 5 years, we have served 337 genomics projects from 79 institutions in Brazil and abroad. Among the institutions served, we find several State Universities, Federal Universities, Research Institutes, 12 Embrapa units, Fiocruz, Butantan, Duke University, NC, USA, and companies such as Dupont, Souza Cruz, Pragas.com, and GDM. In this project, we are requesting the acquisition of: 1) an inverted microscope specialized in capturing and processing images of tissues and cell cultures in bright field and fluorescence. This equipment will allow detailed studies of functional genomics in cell culture. The Functional Genomics Center implemented a tissue culture laboratory with the support of the Institution for in vitro functional validation of genes and genomic regions of interest identified by bioinformatics. For this, we use cell culture, histology, gene reporter, RNA interference, and gene editing methodologies. Thus, to visualize and analyze the modifications made in the cells, it is necessary to obtain an inverted microscope for our Center. Fluorescence will be used to detect molecules inserted into cells by transfection and to analyze morphological and structural modifications after immunostaining. 2) An equipment for scanning microarray slides (iScan from Illumina). This equipment will replace the HiScan, which is widely used but has already been discontinued by Illumina and no longer has replacement parts. 3) A Nanopore sequencer. The acquisition of a Nanopore sequencer will be of great interest to the research community, as long reads contribute greatly to de novo genome assembly and identification of structural variants. (AU)