Isothermal titration calorimeter

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The funds will be used to purchase an isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC). An ITC is an instrument that measures the heat absorbed or released as a consequence of mixing two substances. Since virtually all processes are accompanied by a change in heat, the useful of this method is extremely broad. At McMaster University there are biochemists, chemical biologists, biophysicists and chemical engineers planning to use this method. An ITC instrument has one component placed in a motor-driven syringe and the other component is placed in the cell of the calorimeter and maintained at a very constant temperature. Small fixed volumes from the syringe are delivered at a predetermined rate to the calorimeter cell. This results in heat being absorbed or released. It can be determined how many times material can be delivered before there is no further change in heat flow (except for a small effect resulting from the heat of dilution). From the series of injections one can calculate both the heat change in the reaction as well as the affinity of the two substances for each other. The process can be performed at a range of temperatures to understand how the reaction varies with temperature. The method will be applied to a broad range of problems including the binding of small molecules to large biopolymers and to understanding the absorbitive properties of membrane interfaces. The results will be used to explain the basis of phenomena observed by other methods. Applications will develop for understanding how to optimize interactions with drug targets and how to protect drug carriers and biomaterials from absorbing other substances. There are a total of 10 principle invesitgators on this application. Application of ITC will advance the research of each participant. It will allow accurate, quantitative date to be obtained. Advances will occur in a number of areas including basic biology, biomedical engineering and chemistry. It will allow the training of individuals with high technical skill to contribute to Canadian science, both in acedemia as well as industry.