Structure Determination of Photosynthetic Organelles

智力优势：该项目利用直线加速器相干利希特光源(LCLS)的X射线自由电子激光(XFELs)的最新发展，对完整的光合细胞器、叶绿体和羧体进行结构表征。这项研究工作体现了高风险、高回报的研究，因为在LCLS进行的每一项实验都处于成像生物学的前沿，而成像生物学仍在开发中。绿体和羧体还没有受到这些方法的影响。这两种类型的络合物都为XFELS衍射提供了前所未有的测试案例，因为它们都可以被视为单粒子实验，但都含有结晶成分。这种大小和复杂的颗粒还没有被表征。这是一个高风险的项目，因为很难预测从这些“衍射和破坏”实验中得到的数据的特征。将开发处理和分析这些数据的方法。该项目的结果将为功能大分子细胞器的可视化奠定基础。更广泛的影响：该项目的更广泛影响与在大型(9个小组)国际合作中最令人兴奋的数学、物理和生物交叉学科的年轻科学家的培训有关。开发的开创性方法将有助于推动研究人员社区获得LCLS束流时间。该项目由生物分子动力学结构与功能集群和网络与调节集群联合资助。

Intellectual Merit:This project takes advantage of the latest development in X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) at the Linac Coherent Lisht Source (LCLS) to structurally characterize intact photosynthetic organelles, chlorosomes and carboxysomes. The research undertaking embodies high-risk, high reward research since every experiment undertaken at the LCLS is at the frontier of imaging biology which continues to be under development. Chlorosomes and carboxysomes have not yet been subjected to these methods. Both types of complexes provide unprecedented test cases for XFELs diffraction in that they can both be treated as single particle experiments but with crystalline components. Particles of this size and complexity have not yet been characterized. This is a high risk project in that it is difficult to anticipate the characteristics of the resulting data from these "diffract and destroy" experiments. Methods for processing and analyzing these data will be developed. The results of the project will lay the foundation for visualization of functioning macromolecular organelles. Broader Impact:The broader impact of the project is associated with the training of young scientists at arguably the most exciting intersection of math, physics and biology in a large (9 groups) international collaboration. The pioneering methods developed will be useful for advancing the community of researchers gaining access to LCLS beam-time.This project is jointly funded by the Biomolecular Dynamics Structure and Function Cluster and the Networks and Regulation Cluster.