Building a Genomics Core Facility at Delaware State University
Abstract
New and innovative high-throughput technologies for molecular analyses are being increasingly used recently. Most notably, the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology is helping to establish a new era of ÒOmicsÓ research in Biology, Medicine, Food Science, Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, and other STEM fields. Faculty and students in the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology (CAST) at Delaware State University (DSU) have no access to NGS in undergraduate and graduate-level education, which limits the availability of qualified personnel to fill positions in government, academic, and modern private sector jobs demanding whole genome sequencing (WGS) experiences. This project will serve as the first step towards adoption of an NGS system (PacBio Sequel and epMotion liquid handler) and establish a new genomic core facility for research, teaching, and extension at DSU. Toward our pursuit of research excellence that addresses the DSU Pride Strategic Plan and Goals, an NGS system will benefit many DSU PIs, students, and research staff. The NGS system will be used at CAST for various teaching and research purposes in food safety, biodefense, forensic science, epigenetic, bioinformatics studies, and other STEM fields. Consequently, DSU faculty will become more competitive in procuring external funds from federal agencies and in conducting a proposed large-scale DNA sequencing project. The purposes and activities of this project will be to: 1) establish a DNA core center based on the NGS system in CAST; 2) initiate multi-omics studies using the NGS system at DSU; 3) enhance/develop lab courses for studentsÕ hand-on NGS experiences at DSU; 4) develop outreach programs for STEM teachers, DSU faculty/staff, and other HBCU researchers to train on NGS as a means of professional development. This project will serve as a stepping stone in developing practical genomics education and research by implementing state-of-the-art technology at DSU. Our project meets the research interests of the ARO Core Broad Agency Announcement for Basic and Applied Scientific Research (Scientific Division: Life Sciences; Technical Area: Microbiology and Genetics).
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910518
Entities
People
- Jung-Lim Lee
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Delaware State University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense