GlasBioPhys: an integrated facility for the analysis of biomolecular interactions

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Understanding the structure and functions of biomolecules is essential if we are exploit them for medical and industrial applications. Biomolecules such as proteins, drugs, DNA and RNA all rely on a series of weak (non-covalent) bonds, which work in concert to form specific molecular complexes. These non-covalent interactions are key to all biological processes such as how genes are switched on by proteins, how enzymes function, how molecular machines assemble inside cells and how drugs work. Our understanding of this requires the use of a range of complex equipment, often requiring several pieces of equipment to fully characterize a biomolecule, such as Surface Plasmon Resonance to measure how much affinity biomolecules have for each other or the rates at which they bind to each other. We often use a technique called Isothermal Titration Calorimetry to determine the thermodynamics of interaction and fluorescence polarization spectroscopy to report on how proteins change their conformation when they interact with a partner. These instruments all measure biomolecule interactions in isolation, they are low-throughput and require the development and isolation of experimental conditions for each technique. This application proposes to establish a UK wide facility to measure all of these interactions within a single instrument (switchSENSE heliX, launched in October 2019). At present, there is no existing infrastructure which can match the capabilities of the SwitchSENSE heliX instrument currently on the market. We proposed to use this to support established BBSRC funded academic researchers and industrial partners in Glasgow and more widely in the UK. These researchers will use the SwitchSENSE helix to investigate DNA-binding interactions with drugs, DNA and RNA-binding and how this affects gene expression, post-translational modification of proteins and protein-protein interactions all possible in a streamlined high-throughput fashion. In addition, this grant will facilitate the training of researchers, supporting the training of doctoral students and also access to the equipment by industry to help build the UK capability and sustainability in the area of biomolecular interactions.