Singular Genomics ; G4 Sequencing Platform - This S10 shared application request is being made to purchase a full capacity G4 Sequencing Platform to service sequencing capabilities, to amplify research activity and biomedical capacity at Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy (CoPPs). Unmet Need: There is an urgent need to replace a single source obsolete central piece of equipment at the U54 RCMI /National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Programs molecular genomics core (MGC) facility at Florida Agriculture & Mechanical University, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (FAMU-CoPPS), a multi-disciplinary center focusing on research that affects disadvantaged, minority and under-served populations. The FAMU-CoPPS MGC is at an enormous disadvantage due to rapidly evolving advances in next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies concurrent to expiration and retirement of the cores central piece of instrument (Affymetrix® GeneAtlas® System). The GeneAtlas® was purchased in 2015, and in 2016 the Affymetrix Corporation was acquired by Thermo Fischer Scientific , who in 2021 announced its permanent retirement and notified its customers. This has crippled the MGC , which is now without equipment and greatly in need of a state of the art NGS capacity platform. Furthermore, the phasing of out microarray technology -in general-along with decade long advances in NGS, is necessitating the CoPPS to acquire a high through put platform for affordable genome sequencing, genome analysis , phylogenetic analysis and a full range of metagnomics to elucidate microbiome complex taxonomic profiles including fungi (ITS2) and prokaryotes (16S). Equipment Feature Justification: The G4 Sequencing Platform offers the unique capability to run 1, 2, 3, or 4 flow cells at a time, each with 4 fluidically independent lanes. This level of flexibility allows users to optimize their workflows and maximize efficiency, while being cost beneficial and not available in any other sequencing platforms on the market. Overall Benefit: To Students: All FAMU’s Graduate students seeking the PhD and MS graduate students will receive training in outlined courses on this instrumentation in an effort to broaden their skills and for incorporating use of equipment in their research thesis and dissertation. Moreover, research training will be mentor-driven faculty/student hypothesis-driven. To Faculty: A large number of faculty have indicated significant interest in being able to carry out applications supported by the requested equipment. To Institutional and Research Goals: FAMU is a public, historically black land grant university, founded in 1887 accredited to award baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The University is classified as an R2 Doctoral Research University under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which denotes higher research activity. To the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences: The FAMU (COPPS) was established in 1951 and was designated a Center of Excellence by the former Florida Board of Regents. Acquisition of this instrument will fill a serious void in genomics technologies within the CoPPS and propel existing research and/or education into this technology which will contribute to the institution's long-range biomedical research goals. The component goal of this program is to assist researchers, by acquired advanced instrumentation, established cutting-edge biomedical research laboratories, funded research facilities, and other research support. To Research Vision and Research Projects: The research vision of FAMU COPPS is to conduct world-class research that emphasizes minority health and health disparities.
