Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) System

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This proposal requests funds for acquisition of an AKTA pure 25 fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) system for biomolecule purification at Eastern Washington University (EWU), a primarily undergraduate institute. This instrument will greatly enhance our research and education capacities. At EWU we strive to provide students with hands-on biomedical research experiences through our classes and research labs. The AKTA pure will provide a much needed high quality protein purification system for our biomedical research community. Currently our protein purification projects mainly use gravity flow purification methods with poor yield, and purification quality. With the AKTA pure, we will be able to make use of advanced purification methods, and perform chromatography based biochemical assays, considerably expanding our experimentation capabilities. The instrument will enable us to offer a new class focused on protein purification using the FPLC. We will also incorporate FPLC skills into several current upper-level classes. It will support a diverse range of ongoing research projects, including two NIH funded projects, and allow researchers to gather data for new grant applications. Furthermore, it will enable users to explore new avenues of research, such as small RNA purification and analytical chromatography techniques for protein characterization that we are currently not able to perform. The classes and research projects supported by the AKTA pure will provide a large number of EWU students the opportunity to gain training in a state of the art instrument widely used in biomedical research. Students will gain valuable research experience, and proficiency in using the FPLC will give them a career-ready skill for the biomedical field. The AKTA pure FPLC system will be an invaluable tool for advancing research and education at EWU.