Linda Boland - US grants

ABSTRACT
A grant has been awarded to Dr. Feddersen at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to acquire
scientific instrumentation that will enhance training and research opportunities concerning the influence
of ions (potassium, sodium, calcium, chloride, etc.) on cell function. Changes in ionic gradients
mediate diverse processes including cellular communication, chemical transportation, information
storage/retrieval and energy production/use. Regulation of ion concentration is the job of selective
channels traversing the membranes of all cells. While ion channel diversity and conservation among
species have been revealed through the recent findings of genome projects, much remains to be learned
about the basic function of ion channel proteins. Seminal advances in ion channel research have been
the focus of both the Nobel prize and Lasker Award in the past year serving to draw the attention of
young investigators. The goal of this proposal is to improve integration of research and research
training in the field of ion channel biology which is well-represented at the University of Minnesota.
Cutting-edge instrumentation will be utilized in multiple laboratory courses and time-shared with
research laboratories where it will enhance 'on-the-job' research training. The award will facilitate three
objectives: 1) improving the teaching capabilities of several laboratory courses, 2) expanding ion
channel research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and 3) providing critical
infrastructure for the research training of non-university students. To meet these objectives seven state-of-
the-art experimental workstations will be assembled and distributed to four courses and at least six
different research labs during the year.
A common method to study ion gradients and the channels that affect them requires the use of
sensitive physiological approaches whereby miniature sensors(electrodes) are delicately placed in a
living specimen. Individual ion channels are most conveniently studied in a simple system utilizing
frog eggs. This approach involves genetic engineering and synthesis of information molecules
(mRNAs) coding for ion channels followed by injection of the mRNA into large, viable egg cells. The
cell's translation machinery converts the mRNA into ion channel proteins that are inserted into the cell
membrane. Electrodes placed in the cell collect minute signals that report ion channel function. Using
this approach researchers will measure, and instructors will teach students how to measure, the
response of channels to various stimuli or blockers in the presence or absence of accessory molecules.
The power of genetic engineering allows the introduction of precise mutations to pinpoint the functional
importance of each part of a channel. Protein expression and functional analysis in frog eggs has
become a standard approach of ion channel and cell surface receptor researchers. The instrumentation
allowed by this award is well matched to that application. The equipment includes microscopes, micro-manipulators, mRNA injectors, computers, analog/digital converters, amplifiers and signal conditioning software that make ion channel recording efficient and informative. The equipment will also be used in basic electrophysiology training and research in more complex specimens such as cells in a variety of
tissues, including neurons in brain slices isolated from the mature nervous system.
Teaching laboratories expose students to the critical observations and techniques that provide the
foundation of advanced life sciences research. The instrumentation awarded will directly support
objective #1 because it will be used to present ion channel training exercises in several undergraduate
and graduate level laboratory courses. Fundamentals taught in laboratory courses require an appropriate
setting to advance research to the frontier of discovery. Therefore, when not needed for course work,
the equipment will become a 'core utility' supplied to Principal Investigator labs for undergraduate and
graduate student research projects. The contemporary, fully compatible equipment will best serve the
diversity of research efforts ongoing at the University of Minnesota and satisfy objective #2. As
University courses become more available and convenient for a greater diversity of students the
equipment will be accessed by non-university researchers and small college educators meeting objective
#3. The research instrumentation will become a distributed and unifying feature across courses and
contemporary research endeavors, as well as, among individual labs within departments and research
sectors. Because overall research training and research will be integrated through this award, cost-sharing
funds were pledged from three separate colleges at the University of Minnesota. The funded proposal will enhance the presentation of laboratory-based education, promote student participation in the achievement of independent research goals and enrich the interaction among non-traditional students and university personnel.