Macromolecular Crystallographic HighFlux Home Lab X-ray Diffraction System

描述（由申请人提供）：高分子晶体学在生物医学研究中发挥着核心作用。在马萨诸塞大学医学院，晶体学分析支持 10 多名研究人员的研究。该仪器用于由 13 项 NIH 拨款支持的研究，并培训了超过 25 名研究生。我们现在的仪器不能再依赖了。即使当前的仪器正常运行，也无法满足许多研究人员所需的尖端研究计划。共享仪器补助金将使我们能够购买新的衍射系统，并且许多程序将不再受到过时机器的限制。具体来说，我们正在申请资金用于配备 R-AXIS IV 图像板探测器的 Rigaku HighFlux HomeLab X 射线衍射系统。对于我们的许多项目来说，这个新系统将允许采集足以回答大分子结构和药物设计中的基本问题的数据。对于其他研究项目，新系统将允许对晶体进行本地筛选，从而使同步加速器旅行更加高效。因此，获得这种最先进的晶体学系统将推动我们的研究项目远远超出我们目前所能达到的水平。 公共卫生相关性：现代医学需要了解生物分子的详细结构。在该提案中，我们请求资金用于 X 射线衍射系统，这将使我们能够确定原子细节中的此类关键生物结构。这些细节将用于药物设计和理解许多人类疾病的分子机制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Macromolecular crystallography plays a central role in biomedical research. At the University of Massachusetts Medical School, crystallographic analysis supports the research of more than 10 investigators. This instrumentation is used in the research that is supported by 13 NIH grants and trains more than 25 graduate students. Our current instrumentation can no longer be depended upon. Even when properly functioning the current instrumentation is incapable of serving the cutting-edge research programs many of the investigators require. A Shared Instrumentation Grant will allow us to purchase a new diffraction system and numerous programs will no longer be limited by an outdated machine. Specifically, we are requesting funds for a Rigaku HighFlux HomeLab x-ray diffraction system with an R-AXIS IV++ image plate detector. For many of our projects this new system will permit data acquisition that is sufficient to answer essential questions in macromolecular structure and drug design. For other research programs, the new system will allow local screening of crystals making synchrotron trips much more efficient. Thus the acquisition of this state-of-the-art crystallographic system will propel our research programs far beyond what we can currently achieve. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Modern medicine requires an understanding of the detailed structures of biological molecules. In this proposal we request funds for an x-ray diffraction system, which will allow us to determine such key biological structures in atomic detail. These details will be used in drug design and in understanding the molecular mechanisms of many human diseases.