The Department of Clinical Sciences is requesting a ChemiDoc MP Imaging System. This full-feature instrument is used for imaging and analyzing gels and blots across a wide range of imaging applications and produces precise and reproducible results. A large amount of the research that is conducted in the DCS Innovation Lab involves protein and/or gene expression analysis and this instrument represents an essential piece of equipment with a broad range of uses.

Western blotting experiments using chemiluminescent detection can distinguish more subtle differences than other methods, and this level of precision is needed to determine quantitative measures of difference between, for example, treatment and control groups in clinical and translational studies. Additionally, the opportunity for multiplex fluorescent imaging and stain-free total protein analysis would greatly reduce the amount of time and materials required to obtain results that currently use multiple gels and blots to produce.

The Innovation Lab would also benefit from the ability to quickly and reliably image nucleic acid gels. Agarose gel electrophoresis is a common method utilized in our lab to separate and distinguish DNA bands according to molecular weight. This imager would be a useful tool for confirming the amplification of the correct product after
PCR reactions.

In summary, the ChemiDoc MP would be a valuable additional resource for the Innovation Laboratory offering immediate benefits to multiple faculty members across DCS. Siting this machine within the Innovation Lab would make it a shared resource for current faculty and ensure future access for new, early-career faculty.