This application requests funds to purchase a Qiagen PyroMark Q96 MD Automated Pyrosequencing System to support over 10 NIH-funded projects involving researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC). These projects address important areas of cancer research that include the identification and validation of genotypic and epigenetic markers that have the potential to predict the predisposition to various cancers and other genetic-based diseases. Pyrosequencing offers an accurate means to rapidly assess the proportion of mutated or epigenetically altered alleles in tissues in a high throughput manner. This information is critical in determining the biological and clinical relevance of these gene alterations in disease processes. Currently, there is no such instrument or similar capabilities for assessing both genetic alterations or polymorphisms and epigenetic alterations available to researchers in the Seattle area. If awarded, the PyroMark Q96 MD would be housed in the FHCRC Genomics Shared Resource, where expertise exists to operate, maintain, and manage the instrument, and a fee-based infrastructure is in place to ensure long-term support. The requested instrument will address both immediate and future needs, supporting translational NIH-funded research at the FHCRC.