CAREER: Development Plan for Optical / Nuclear Double Resonance Studies of Proteins and Inclusion Complexes Oriented in Liquid Crystalline Matrices

在该项目中，由化学部实验物理化学计划资助，南伊利诺伊大学卡本代尔分校的Boyd Goodson教授将从事液晶基质中分子和（生物）大分子复合物的结构和动力学的NMR和光学/核双共振（ONDR）研究。 目标是提高对主客体相互作用，蛋白质-配体结合事件以及其他涉及弱但特异性相互作用的生物现象的理解。 在这个项目的第二部分，他将把这些研究举措纳入本科物理化学课程，同时指导本科生进行独立研究。 研究部分由三个相关部分组成：1）在各种晶体基质中取向的包合物和氙-蛋白质复合物的制备和核磁共振研究; 2）使用激光极化氙通过自旋-自旋交叉弛豫探测与复合物形成分子和蛋白质的相互作用;以及3）这两种组分的组合，由此，相互作用将通过氙核磁化的光学增强和氙核之间偶极耦合的恢复而被放大。氙和主体分子使用液晶。 这项研究将与研究生和本科生进行。 研究到本科课程的整合将强调深度超过广度，基于探究的学习，并接触到最先进的方法。

In this project, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Boyd Goodson of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale will engage in NMR and optical/nuclear double resonance (ONDR) studies of the structure and dynamics of molecular and (bio)macromolecular complexes in liquid-crystalline matrices. The goal is to bring about an improved understanding of host-guest interactions, protein-ligand binding events, and other biological phenomena involving weak but specific interactions. In a second part of this project he will incorporate these research initiatives into the undergraduate physical chemistry curriculum while mentoring undergraduate students in independent research. The research part consists of three related components: 1) the preparation and NMR investigation of inclusion complexes and xenon-protein complexes oriented in various crystalline matrices; 2) the use of laser-polarized xenon to probe interactions with complex-forming molecules and proteins via spin-spin cross-relaxation; and 3) the combination of these two components, whereby the interactions will be amplified by both the optical enhancement of xenon nuclear magnetization and the restoration of dipolar couplings between xenon and host molecules using liquid crystals. The research will be conducted with graduate and undergraduate students. The integration of research into the undergraduate curriculum will emphasize depth over breadth, inquiry-based learning, and exposure to state-of-the-art methods.