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

该奖项由2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助。在主要研究仪器(MRI)项目的资助下，卫尔斯理学院化学系将获得一台圆二色(CD)分光光度计，用于学生的研究和培训。研究项目涉及化学-生物界面的广泛问题，包括：1)抗菌肽的结构如何与它们穿越和破坏细胞膜的能力有关，2)与淋巴瘤相关的细胞信号突变的结构效应的测量，3)与神经疾病相关的多肽的聚集行为，4)处理神经肽的酶的结构-功能关系的研究，和5)蛋白质的生化特征，被认为在植物细胞分裂过程中的膜转运事件中起关键作用。圆二色分光光度计将产生光谱数据，提供关于分子结构的信息，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室课程。通过将圆二色光谱应用于分子间相互作用、几何异构体和蛋白质结构的研究，CD分光光度计将被集成到入门化学、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.