Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules as Probed by High Resolution Solid State NMR

在这个由化学部门化学测量和成像项目资助的项目中，耶鲁大学的Kurt Zilm教授将开发新的核磁共振（NMR）技术，以特定位点的方式研究大分子的物理化学。动态核极化（DNP）技术的进步，使核磁共振信号增强了100倍以上，将适用于微升大小的样品。这有可能使重组膜蛋白的生物物理研究变得可行，只有100纳克的材料。其他方法将被开发出来，通过简单的核磁共振弛豫测量来确定10埃量级的距离。这些技术将用于了解视觉色素的突变如何改变视网膜发色团的结构，并用于观察蛋白质中埋藏的水分子的动力学。本研究的广泛影响包括扩展生物物理化学工具箱，以及培养学生成为生物学和化学界面的仪器构建实验人员。Zilm教授通过耶鲁大学科学技术研究学者项目积极参与招募自然科学研究中代表性不足的学生，并作为当地高中化学实验室开放日的主持人。

In this project, funded by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Kurt Zilm at Yale University will develop novel Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques to study the physical chemistry of large molecules in a site-specific manner. Advances in dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), which enhances NMR signals by over 100-fold, will be adapted to microliter size samples. This has the potential to make feasible biophysical studies on recombinant membrane proteins with as little as 100 nanograms of material. Other methods will be developed to determine distances the order of 10 Angstroms by simple NMR relaxation measurements. These techniques will be applied to understand how mutations in visual pigments change the structure of the retinal chromophore, and for observing the dynamics of buried water molecules in proteins. Broader impacts of this research include expanding the biophysical chemistry toolbox, and the training of students as instrument building experimentalists at the interface of biology and chemistry. Professor Zilm is actively involved in the recruitment of underrepresented students in natural science research through the Yale University Science and Technology Research Scholars program, and as the host of chemistry laboratory open houses for local high school classes.