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Introduction History and Activities of the ABRF Amino Acid Analysis Protein Sequencing Chemistry and Sample Preparation ABRF Protein Sequence Studies Instrument Technological Improvement/Design over the Course of ABRF Studies Internal Protein Sequencing Peptide Synthesis Carbohydrate Analysis Nucleic Acids ABRF DNA Synthesis Studies ABRF DNA Sequencing Studies Mass Spectrometry Initial Results of the Survey Preliminary Results of the Analysis of ABRF MS1 and MS2 Test Conclusions Surveys of Core Laboratories Laboratory Quality and Compliance Effective Use of Biomolecular Resource Facilities Before Submission of a Request After Receipt of Your Data or Reagents Future of Core Laboratories Paradigm Shift in the Postgenome Era Automation Future Opportunities Acknowledgments Bibliography

A survey of 128 biotechnology core facilities has provided data on the finances, services, space requirements, and personnel. An average facility had four full-time personnel and 7.5 major instrument systems, and occupied 969 sq. ft. Average total income was $244,000/year, but annual user fee income was only $125,000. Typically, facilities required substantial institutional support or grants. Cost recovery (user fee income divided by total income) averaged 49%. During the last 5 years user fee income, total income, and cost recovery have increased. In-house charges for protein sequencing and peptide synthesis increased approximately 30%, while oligonucleotide synthesis charges decreased by 74%. The costs (charges corrected for subsidy from non-user fee income) for most services did not significantly change, except that oligonucleotide synthesis costs decreased by 25% in 1992. DNA synthesis had the highest throughout per month (116 samples), followed by amino acid analysis (86 samples) and DNA sequencing (67 samples). Other services averaged from 5 to 60 samples. DNA synthesis and purification were the services used by the greatest number of principal investigators. A number of services including DNA sequencing, mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis, RNA synthesis, electroblotting, and carbohydrate analysis have been introduced in the last 3 years. Although these services are characterized by high levels of methods development and non-user runs, they are offered by twice the percentage of facilities as in 1989, and are increasingly contributing to facility income.

Based on analyses and surveys completed by as many as 112 protein chemistry laboratories, an average of nearly 100 picomoles of protein is needed to sequence the first 15 or more residues while a total of about 4 μg protein is sufficient to carry out a triplicate hydrolysis/analysis that will give an amino acid composition with about 86% compositional accuracy. On average, approximately 700 picomoles protein is required in order to isolate and sequence a 15 residue tryptic peptide.