Award details

A high speed centrifugation facility for research on bacteria viruses plants and animals.

Reference	BB/C511264/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor George Salmond
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Paul Dupree, Professor Richard Farndale, Professor Christopher Howe, Professor Kathryn Lilley, Dr Martin Welch
Institution	University of Cambridge
Department	Biochemistry
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	67,900
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/12/2004
End date	31/08/2005
Duration	9 months

Abstract

The main objective of this proposal is simply to meet the basic high speed centrifugation needs of multiple groups of researchers working on diverse research projects ¿ from viruses and bacteria, through plants to animals. This facility is absolutely essential, so that we can maintain domestic and international competitiveness in our research programmes. Multiple research teams in the Hopkins building (Tennis Court Road) that are using high speed centrifugation have encountered progressively more difficult circumstances in the past few years. Our medium and ultra high speed centrifuges (plus associated rotors) in this building are now 20-30 years old in many cases. Multiple rotors have been progressively de-rated and centrifuges have been sequentially written-off as collective demands on the remaining centrifuges have continued. Basic centrifugation may not be a glamorous high tech technology but multiple groups in this Department depend absolutely on this fundamental technique to enable much of their research work. Therefore, unless our facilities are upgraded, we will experience serious difficulties in achieving core targets of current and future research projects. This application is for a suite of high speed centrifuges, plus associated rotors, that will allow diverse research groups in the Hopkins building routine, and easy access to modern, quality, high speed centrifugation systems. In this bid, we are requesting a communal centrifuge suite involving two robust high speed machines and one benchtop Ultracentrifuge, plus a collection of rotors for these machines to cover the current, and projected, research needs of the Hopkins groups working on viruses, bacteria, plants and animal cells, with projects that necessitate macromolecular purification methods, cellular and subcellular fractionation techniques and standard viral separation/purification methods. All of the projects involved are either currently funded by BBSRC on full project grants and/or on PhD studentships. In addition, all of the projects have clear strategic significance related to bacterial pathogenesis, agriculture and medical applications and thus, de facto, reflect research that lies at the very core of the BBSRC mission of funding high quality fundamental research with strategic implications. The combination of centrifuges and rotors we are requesting will give us the flexibility and capacity to cope with the volume of centrifugation need we envisage. There are currently 6 different groups (all with an immediate, critical need for the facility) bidding in this application for a collective centrifugation suite, but the facility will be open to other groups in the Hopkins building (who may not have a significant current need for these facilities but will certainly benefit by intermittent access). In addition, all the other members of the Department will have free access to this facility when they require it. It is therefore truly a Departmental Facility.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Engineering & Biological Systems (EBS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Research Equipment Initiative 2004 (RE4) [2004]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

I accept the terms and conditions of use (opens in new window)

export PDF file

back to list new search