MRI:Acquisition of a Circular Dichroism Spectrophotometer for Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Chemistry and Biology at an Undergraduate College

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。Wellesley学院化学系将获得一个圆形二色性（CD）分光光度计，用于研究和培训学生。研究项目涉及化学-生物学界面的一系列广泛问题，包括：1)抗菌肽的结构如何与其穿越和破坏细胞膜的能力相关，2)与淋巴瘤相关的细胞信号突变的结构效应的测量，3)与神经系统疾病相关的肽的聚集行为，4)处理神经肽的酶的结构-功能关系的研究，5)被认为在植物细胞分裂过程中膜转运事件中起关键作用的蛋白质的生化特性。圆二色分光光度计将产生光谱数据，提供有关分子结构的信息，特别是生物分子的构象，如核酸、蛋白质和酶。该仪器将用于本科生的研究和实验课。CD分光光度计将通过应用圆二色光谱来研究分子间相互作用、几何异构体和蛋白质结构，集成到入门化学、有机化学和生物化学实验室中。

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, the Department of Chemistry at Wellesley College will acquire a circular dichroism (CD) spectrophotometer for use in research and training of students. Research projects involve a wide array of problems at the chemistry-biology interface including: 1) How the structure of antimicrobial peptides is related to their ability to cross and disrupt cell membranes, 2) Measurement of the structural effect of cell-signaling mutations associated with lymphomas, 3) The aggregation behavior of peptides related to neurological diseases, 4) A study of the structure-function relationships of an enzyme that processes neuropeptides, and 5) The biochemical characterization of a protein thought to play a critical role in membrane trafficking events during plant cell cytokinesis.A circular dichroism spectrophotometer will produce spectral data that provides information on molecular structure and especially the conformations of bio-molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and enzymes. The instrument will be used in research and laboratory classes by undergraduate students. The CD spectrophotometer will be integrated into Introductory Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry laboratories by applying circular dichroism spectra to the study of intermolecular interactions, geometric isomers and protein structure.