MRI: Acquisition of modern x-ray diffraction equipment to enhance research and training

这笔NSF MRI奖金将用于购买一个新的旋转阳极x射线发生器和用于大分子晶体学的光学器件，完成多年来为犹他州立大学带来最先进的晶体学设备的努力。该设备为USU校园和周边机构的许多研究人员提供支持，这些研究人员依赖于结构信息，否则他们将限制或无法访问结构方法。通过该合同提供的改进的x射线能力将大大加强确定大型生物分子的高分辨率晶体结构的努力。这些设施支持的项目范围广泛，包括RNA监测、磷酸化转移、代谢工程、翻译后修饰、碳氢化合物代谢、进化适应和生物燃料合成的研究。结构研究在生物学和生物化学研究的各个领域都起着重要的作用，是学生训练不可缺少的组成部分。在美国的山间地区，用于大分子晶体学的设备极为有限。位于USU校园的晶体学设施为整个地区的研究人员提供了重要的资源。现代x射线源的能力和可靠性的提高将促进现有用户以及USU和周边地区的其他研究小组的更多使用。这种新的最先进的仪器，结合长期关注的合作研究和培训，将结构生物学的全部影响带到一个较小的，地理上偏远的机构。它进一步提供了一个可以在类似环境中复制的模型。培训计划是为了最大限度地使用仪器。我们的方法(1)使研究小组能够独立进行晶体学实验，(2)提供了广泛的结构方法。设计了新的课程来教授本科和研究生阶段的晶体学方法。USU校园里有大量的财政资源来支持本科生的研究，每个pi都有吸引本科生参与研究工作的记录。拓展工作包括将结构生物学纳入由该部门支持的暑期高中研究项目。扩大的课程设置和学生指导，加上教师的科学专业知识和新的最先进的仪器，将提供广泛的接触和直接进入快速发展的结构生物学领域。

This NSF MRI award will be used to acquire a new rotating anode x-ray generator and optics for macromolecular crystallography, completing a multi-year effort to bring state-of-the-art crystallographic facilities to Utah State University. The equipment supports a number of researchers on the USU campus and surrounding institutions who depend on structural information but would otherwise have limited or no access to structural methods. The improved x-ray capabilities provided through this award will significantly enhance efforts to determine high-resolution crystal structures of large biological molecules. The projects supported by these facilities are wide-ranging and include investigation of RNA surveillance, phosphoryl transfer, metabolic engineering, post-translational modification, hydrocarbon metabolism, evolutionary adaptation and biofuel synthesis.Structural studies play an essential role in all areas of biological and biochemical research, and are an indispensable component of student training. Facilities for macromolecular crystallography are extremely limited in the Intermountain Region of the United States. The crystallographic facilities located on the USU campus provide a critical resource for researchers throughout the area. The increased capability and reliability of a modern x-ray source will promote increased use by the current users as well as other research groups at USU and the surrounding region. This new state-of-the-art instrumentation, combined with a long-term focus on collaborative research and training, brings the full impact of structural biology to a smaller, geographically remote institution. It further provides a model that may be reproduced in similar environments. A training plan is in place for maximizing usage of the instrument. Our approach (1) enables research groups to perform crystallographic experiments independently, and (2) provides widespread exposure to structural methods. New coursework has been designed to teach crystallographic methods at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Significant financial resources are available on the USU campus for support of undergraduate research, and each of the PIs have established track records engaging undergraduate students in their research efforts. Outreach efforts include integration of structural biology into a summer high school research program supported by the department. The expanded course offerings and student mentoring, coupled with faculty scientific expertise and new state-of-the-art instrumentation, will give widespread exposure and direct access to the rapidly expanding field of structural biology.