MRI-R2: Acquisition of Biophysical Instruments for Interdisciplinary Faculty and Student Research

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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 and Instrumentation (MRI) program, Professor Kumar Sinniah and his colleagues David E Benson and Amy Wilstermann from Calvin College, and Brad Wallar from Grand Valley State University will acquire an atomic force microscope (AFM), isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The instruments will be used in an array of chemical and biological investigations including: the binding interaction between G-quadruplex DNA with insulin and with topoisomerase I, the thermodynamic parameters that control protein attachment and stability on nanoparticle surfaces, and the protein interactions involved in the regulation of diaphanous related formins. Atomic force microscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry are used to study the binding of protein-protein and protein-ligand complexes from single molecule to bulk ensemble methods. The single molecule interactions will be studied using the atomic force microscope (AFM), while the bulk ensemble characterizations will be carried out using the complementary techniques of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The ITC and DSC provide critical information regarding the stability and binding of protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions and will aid in the interpretation of single molecule kinetic and thermodynamic properties estimated from the AFM studies. Together these instruments will expand the scope of research and training possible, providing essential bioanalytical capabilities to faculty and students at Calvin College and Grand Valley State University (GVSU).