An Optical Biosensor Instrument for Analysis of Biomolecular Interactions in Molecular and Cellular Biology

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This is a proposal to purchase an optical biosensor instrument for research in molecular and cellular biology. The proposed instrument uses a cuvette-based design to measure, in real-time, the interaction between different molecules. The technology is based on an optical biosensor which detects macromolecular binding due to changes in refractive index at the boundary of the biosensor surface. This instrument permits real-time, analysis of molecular interactions. A variety of molecular interactions will be studied. These include both kinetic and thermodynamic analyses of hormone-receptor, enzyme-substrate, receptor- cell, DNA-DNA, DNA-protein, and protein-protein interactions. These interactions are central to processes in molecular and cellular biology such as cell motility, genetic recombination, protein transport, RNA transcription, and signal transduction. These interactions can now be studied in real time over a wide dynamic range of size and concentration, and without the need for radioisotopic, or other, labeling. Application of this new technology will greatly facilitate fundamental research on cellular function and will contribute to the training of future biological scientists.