MRI: Acquisition of High-Throughput Calorimeters for Ligand-Biopolymer Discovery and Characterization

MRI：获取高通量热量计用于配体生物聚合物的发现和表征

• 批准号: 0922974
• 负责人: Philip Bevilacqua
• 金额: $ 45.96万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0922974&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Throughput; Calorimeters; Ligand

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Much of biology is regulated by the specific and high-affinity binding of ligands to proteins and nucleic acids. In most cases, however, the interacting molecules are either unknown or poorly characterized. This project proposes to establish a calorimetry facility at the Pennsylvania State University that will have high-throughput and high-sensitivity isothermal titration (ITC) and differential scanning (DSC) calorimeters. This unique facility will enable detection of ligand and drug binding to proteins and RNA, which will lead to the discovery and characterization of a wide range of ligand-biopolymer interactions, as well as determination of effects of ligand and biopolymer modifications on RNA and protein stability. New breakthroughs are anticipated in the areas of plant biology, metabolism, and enzymology, among others. Training opportunities will be available to undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral personnel at the interface of biology and chemistry. Research and educational opportunities will also be provided to Penn State campuses outside the main University Park campus, including the Altoona and York campuses, which are primarily undergraduate institutions. Outreach will be provided to underrepresented students at the undergraduate and high school levels, including hands-on calorimetry experiments and tours of the facility. Lastly, a short course will be developed on biothermodynamics that will present theory and provide hands-on training in ITC and DSC to all users. Scientific discoveries, publications, and educational material will be disseminated to the public through a Penn State website.

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。生物学的大部分内容是通过配体与蛋白质和核酸的特异性和高亲和力结合来调节的。然而，在大多数情况下，相互作用的分子要么是未知的，要么是表征不佳。该项目拟在宾夕法尼亚州立大学建立一个量热设施，配备高通量、高灵敏度等温滴定 (ITC) 和差示扫描 (DSC) 量热计。这一独特的设施将能够检测配体和药物与蛋白质和 RNA 的结合，这将导致广泛的配体-生物聚合物相互作用的发现和表征，以及确定配体和生物聚合物修饰对 RNA 和蛋白质稳定性的影响。预计植物生物学、新陈代谢和酶学等领域将取得新的突破。本科生、研究生和博士后人员将获得生物学和化学交叉领域的培训机会。 研究和教育机会还将向大学公园主校区以外的宾夕法尼亚州立大学校园提供，包括主要是本科院校的阿尔图纳和约克校区。 将为本科和高中阶段代表性不足的学生提供外展活动，包括动手量热实验和参观设施。 最后，将开发一个关于生物热力学的短期课程，向所有用户介绍 ITC 和 DSC 理论并提供实践培训。 科学发现、出版物和教育材料将通过宾夕法尼亚州立大学网站向公众传播。