CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF THE RIBOSOME

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Our goals are to (a) obtain improved resolution of crystals of 70S ribosomes, currently limited to 5.0 ¿, and (b) to obtain crystal structures of additional ribosome functional complexes, containing mRNA, tRNAs and translational factors in various functional states. We first plan to screen several dozen crystals of 70S ribosomes and ribosome functional complexes that we have recently obtained, including ones from at least two distinct crystal forms. If we observe promising diffraction results during screening, we will collect data, according to the time available. It is necessary for us to carry out screening at the synchrotron because of the very large size of our unit cells, and consequent weak diffraction. For the same reason, we prefer to use beamlines with high flux, and using large detectors, to obtain adequate intensities and spot separation.