Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** we will provide access to equipment…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** we will provide access to equipment required to support the identification of diverse novel microbial natural products. In particular, we will acquire a high-resolution mass spectrometer with a quadrupole analyzer (thermo fisher orbitrap exploris 240), providing the capability for untargetted mass spectrometry and natural product discovery. We will enable participation of UW-madison microbiologists in chemical characterization and novel compound discovery by providing ready access to expertise (in place) and shared equipment (this proposal). Although UW-madison has strength in mass spectrometry, these faculty members are highly sought after collaborators without bandwidth for additional projects, and the mass spectrometry instruments on campus are fully subscribed and/or not suited for the high-resolution discovery mode we focus on. We anticipate use by dozens of UW madison PIS, with identification of unique small molecules synthesized by microbes that play key roles in agriculturally important interactions among microbes, between microbes and plants, and between microbes and animals. These molecules promote the health of soil and mediate communications that allow healthy plant growth and animal production. We anticipate the characterization of valuable antibacterial and antifungal compounds as well. Thus, our work directly supports USDA strategic goals 2 (ensure america's agricultural system is resilient) and 4 (provide all americans safe, nutritious food) as well as priorities 3 (bolstering nutrition security and health), 4 (cultivating resilient ecosystems) and 5 (translating research into action). Enhanced PHD student and postdoc training in a high-value technique, and increase peer-reviewed publications and interdisciplinary grant funding will result from this award.