The equipment for which we apply is an anaerobic workstation that will allow culturing and manipulation of anaerobic bacteria as "nature intended", i.e. by creating the anaerobic conditions that mimic those in which these microorganisms normally live. The need for this equipment is steadily increasing in modern laboratory, especially when aiming to implement bench-to-bedside research. At the Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, which is based in Latina (i.e. far from Rome), this Medium Equipment is unavailable and this negatively impacts on the possibility to perform modern investigations on the effects of the microbiota, mostly represented by anaerobes, in health and disease, including cardiovascular research.
The equipment is not just a cabinet, rather a workstation where efficiently and reliably cultivation of anaerobes can be carried out. It allows to save time in getting patient samples efficiently into the correct anaerobic conditions. It is typically easy to clean with a removable pop-off front cover. It allows to adjust temperature and humidity to provide a precisely controlled anaerobic environment, optimal for cell growth, with no dry spots. The work carried out in the anaerobic workstation corresponds to that of > 20 anaerobic jars per week. Thus the workstation saves time and costs, is more reliable because it provides a stable atmosphere and minimal maintenance. Optical sensor and HEPA filtration is a standard in these anaerobic workstations, designed to protect the researchers results because the airtight chamber is flooded with anaerobic gas mix (H2 in N2) and O2 is displaced.
There are many areas of research that will benefit from the acquisition of this equipment, from fundamental research to clinical studies and metabolism of drugs. We describe here some of these research lines. However, if funded, the equipment will be made accessible to all departmental research staff, following the necessary training.
The Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, established in June 2010, is the youngest of the Departments of Sapienza and the researcher staff belongs in many SSDs. The research lines, conducted in the laboratories of Corso della Repubblica 79 - Latina, are quite diversified though sharing some equipment needs, which are instrumental to carry out scientific work. So to optimize costs and spaces, and to perform experiments, including those in collaboration, we share equipment that therefore supports the daily work of many teams.
The equipment for which we are applying for funding is an anaerobic workstation which will allow culturing of anaerobic bacteria as "nature intended", i.e. create the anaerobic conditions that mimic those in which these microorganisms normally live. Currently, we do not have an anaerobic chamber and the lack of this instrument impacts negatively on the possibility to perform more modern investigations which relate to the effects of microbiota in health and disease, including breakthrough cardiovascular research.
This application is supported by 6 members of the department, but it is fully agreed that, if funding for buying the anaerobic chamber will be approved, all the department research staff will have access to the equipment, following the necessary training.