MRI: Acquisition of High-Throughput Calorimeters for Ligand-Biopolymer Discovery and Characterization

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助的。许多生物学受到配体与蛋白质和核酸的特定和高亲和力结合的监管。然而，在大多数情况下，相互作用的分子要么是未知的，要么是特征不佳的。该项目建议在宾夕法尼亚州立大学建立一个量热设施，该设施将拥有高通量和高灵敏度的等温滴定(ITC)和差示扫描(DSC)热量计。这一独特的设施将能够检测配体和药物与蛋白质和RNA的结合，这将导致发现和表征广泛的配体-生物聚合物相互作用，以及确定配体和生物聚合物修饰对RNA和蛋白质稳定性的影响。预计在植物生物学、新陈代谢和酶学等领域将有新的突破。生物和化学交界处的本科生、研究生和博士后人员将有培训机会。还将向宾夕法尼亚州立大学园区主校区以外的校区提供研究和教育机会，包括主要是本科院校的阿尔图纳校区和约克校区。将向本科生和高中生人数不足的学生提供外联服务，包括实际操作的量热实验和参观该设施。最后，将开发一个关于生物热力学的短期课程，该课程将介绍理论，并向所有用户提供关于ITC和DSC的实践培训。科学发现、出版物和教育材料将通过宾夕法尼亚州立大学的网站向公众传播。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Much of biology is regulated by the specific and high-affinity binding of ligands to proteins and nucleic acids. In most cases, however, the interacting molecules are either unknown or poorly characterized. This project proposes to establish a calorimetry facility at the Pennsylvania State University that will have high-throughput and high-sensitivity isothermal titration (ITC) and differential scanning (DSC) calorimeters. This unique facility will enable detection of ligand and drug binding to proteins and RNA, which will lead to the discovery and characterization of a wide range of ligand-biopolymer interactions, as well as determination of effects of ligand and biopolymer modifications on RNA and protein stability. New breakthroughs are anticipated in the areas of plant biology, metabolism, and enzymology, among others. Training opportunities will be available to undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral personnel at the interface of biology and chemistry. Research and educational opportunities will also be provided to Penn State campuses outside the main University Park campus, including the Altoona and York campuses, which are primarily undergraduate institutions. Outreach will be provided to underrepresented students at the undergraduate and high school levels, including hands-on calorimetry experiments and tours of the facility. Lastly, a short course will be developed on biothermodynamics that will present theory and provide hands-on training in ITC and DSC to all users. Scientific discoveries, publications, and educational material will be disseminated to the public through a Penn State website.