Approximately 500 square feet of bench space has been secured for the HIV glycoprotein project in the Molecular Sciences Research Center (MSRC), not far from the research space currently occupied by the co-PI’s of this proposal for their research laboratories. The Molecular Sciences Building is equipped with state of the art ventilation system that is supplied by 100% outside air filtered through 30% and 95% ASHRAE (atmospheric dust spot efficiency) filters. All the air will be fully exhausted (with no recirculation).  The ventilation in the laboratories is approximately 6-8 outside air changes per hour (ACPH).  We have a Building Managements System (BMS) capable of controlling the changes in pressurization depending on the individual laboratory requirements.  The BMS system monitors and controls temperature and humidity in the building within 2% of set temperatures. The building provides vacuum and filtered compressed air to the laboratories in the building. Specialty gases are provided as required from local cylinder manifolds.  Potable hot and cold water are provided from the building. The building provides reverse osmosis deionized (RODI) water to all the sinks in the laboratories.  Waste waters from the laboratory sinks is collected through acid resistant pipes and is treated on its way out by a centralized pH neutralization system. The electricity for the whole building can be safeguarded within 7 seconds by a massive generator capable of delivering 2.5 Megawatts.  For the telecommunication, a complete raceway and wire systems are provided from the base of the building infrastructure and it provides 1Gb internet connectivity.  The system will be upgraded to 10Gb connectivity in the next year.  We have a closed circuit security system at all egress areas and for the surrounding areas to the building. All entrances to the building and the laboratories require an ID with a programmed card access. There is an industrial glass washer and an industrial autoclave located in the 2nd floor laboratories. There are two cold rooms and two tissue culture rooms and a state-of-the-art industrial scare autoclave next to a glass washing facility. The MSRC currently houses the Materials Characterization Center, a fee-for-service facility that operates under GMP regulations. The facility has been audited by the FDA on multiple occasions…

 

Dedicated instrumentation that has been purchased:

• Dewar
• 80oC Freezer
• Bioanalyzer
• Octet
• ICE/IEF Protein Simple
• Gel electrophoresis setup
• Nanodrop
• Computers

 

Additional instrumentation features; a Spectramax 190 Microplate Reader (Molecular Devices) and two AKTA-FPLC protein purification systems.

Our new facilities also house the following instrumentation: 3 static incubators, 1 Innova 4000 shaker incubator with temperature control, 1 shaker incubator with temperature control (New Brunswick), 1 GelDock XR (BioRad) for agarose gel documentation, UV/Vis spectrophotometer (BioRad), Akta FPLC protein purification system (GE Healthcare) in a 4oC cold box, 1 laminar flow positive pressure hood (Forma Scientific), 2 fume hoods for handling chemicals, benchtop centrifuge (IEC), 2 microcentrifuges (Eppendorf), agarose gel casting and running modules (BioRad), SDS-PAGE gel casting and running modules (BioRad), 1 Agilent HPLC System (HP)with autosampler and UV and fluorescence detectors, microplate shaker incubator with temperature control (Heidolph), PCR Thermal Cycler (Stratagene), a Realplex RT-PCR system from Eppendorf, 2 refrigerators (4oC), 2 freezers (-20oC, Fisher and Sanyo), 1 freezer (-70oC, Forma Scientific)   UV and Visible trans-illuminators, water baths, hotplates, magnetic stirrers, analytical balances and pH meters.

Additionally, as members of the RCMI Protein Discovery Core Facility, we are main users of the LTQ MS/MS Mass Spectrometer (Thermo-Finnigan)  and SELDI Mass Spectrometer (Ciphergen) located in our building three stories below us, for use in the characterization of proteins and small molecules. In addition, with the recent purchase of a QToF LC/MS/MS from Waters by the Department of Chemistry in UPR-Rio Piedras, we have become major users of this equipment, as well.