MRI: Acquisition of a Surface Plasmon Resonance Instrument

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Professor Arne Gericke and his colleague Edgar A. Kooijman will acquire a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) instrument. The research uses include projects aimed at studying: 1) lipid mediated protein functions; 2) exchangeable apolipo- and lipid droplet protein-lipid interactions; 3) the investigation of androgen regulation of hormone responsive genes; 4) the investigation of propofol/PKC interaction; 5) the characterization of protein phosphatase 1 gamma 2 interaction with inhibitors; and 5) the characterization of DNA and RNA quadruplex formation. In a novel approach, it is planned to assemble ordered mesoporous organosilicas (OMOs) on an SPR chip surface to develop OMOs that can be used for sensing applications or in environmental remediation.SPR biosensors are analytical instruments used to study biomolecular interactions. An SPR biosensor measures changes in refractive index of a solution close to a surface. The changes can be caused by changes in concentration of an analyte that occur on binding to a surface-bound ligand. Changes over time can reflect association and dissociation and thus, affinity. This instrument will be used by undergraduates in their research. It will also be used in a biophotonics cross-disciplinary course under development jointly by Kent State's Chemistry, Physics and Biology departments to improve the education of undergraduate students in this vital scientific area prior to their entering the workforce or graduate school.