Acquisition of an Optima Analytical Ultracentrifuge

摘要 我们申请资金购买Optima Analytical Ultra分析仪（AUC）， 来自Beckman Inc.的干涉光学器件AUC是一种功能强大的首要原则技术， 样品形状、大小和异质性的解决方案测量，除了测量 生物分子相互作用AUC使研究人员能够进行自然条件表征， 他们感兴趣的蛋白质。该仪器将存放在生物化学和分子生物学系 圣刘易斯大学医学院生物学。该仪器将支持基础研究， NIH资助的医学院和文理学院的研究人员。的AUC 在使用低温电子技术进行结构分析时， 显微镜我们描述的项目，从4个主要用户与R 01 NIH赠款和4个小用户，将 从所要求的仪器中受益。用户项目涵盖一系列生物分子相互作用 在DNA修复和重组，血液凝固过程，神经变性中的蛋白质聚集， 免疫血栓形成、蛋白质翻译调节、层粘连蛋白病和泛素化过程。所有 这些项目依赖于对各自的蛋白质-蛋白质和蛋白质-底物的生物化学分析 复合物和AUC将有助于建立其低聚物和生物分子 相互作用特性新的optima AUC将取代现有的旧型号ProteomeLab AUC 现在已经使用了15年，远远超过了使用年限。optima AUC也经过重新设计， 将机械部件容纳在主腔室内，并具有更高的光学分辨率， 数据捕获属性。更重要的是，optima AUC与荧光检测兼容 目前正在开发的能力。将主要处理optima AUC的培训 由安东尼研究小组的成员谁拥有超过十年的经验，使用 仪器、样品制备和数据分析。用户（本科生和研究生， 博士后研究员和研究助理）将接受独立使用AUC的培训， 仪器时间将使用部门现有的调度系统确定 仪器仪表一个地方咨询委员会将监督AUC及其业务。的 optima AUC将成为圣刘易斯生物物理仪器组合的一个组成部分 这将对NIH资助的研究产生重大影响。

ABSTRACT We request funds to purchase an Optima Analytical Ultra Centrifuge (AUC) equipped with interference optics from Beckman Inc. AUC is a powerful, first principle, technique that provides in solution measurement of sample shape, size, and heterogeneity, in addition to measuring strengths of bio-molecular interactions. AUC enables the researcher to perform native-condition characterization of their protein of interest. The instrument will be housed in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. The instrument will support basic research of NIH-funded investigators at both the Medical School and in the College of Arts and Sciences. The AUC will also be pivotal in assessing sample homogeneity for structural analysis using cryo-electron microscopy. We describe projects from 4 major users with R01 NIH grants and 4 minor users that will benefit from the requested instrumentation. The user projects span a range of biomolecular interactions in DNA repair and recombination, blood clotting processes, protein aggregation in neurodegeneration, immunothrombosis, regulation of protein translation, laminopathies and ubiquitination processes. All these projects depend on biochemical analysis of the respective protein-protein and protein-substrate complexes and the AUC will be instrumental in establishing their oligomeric and biomolecular interaction properties. The new optima AUC will replace the existing older model ProteomeLab AUC which is now 15 years old and well past the serviceable age. The optima AUC is also redesigned to house the mechanical parts within the main chamber and possess much greater optical resolution and data capture properties. More importantly, the optima AUC is compatible with fluorescence detection capabilities that are currently under development. Training for the optima AUC will be primarily handled by members of the Antony research group who have more than a decade of experience using the instrumentation, sample preparation, and data analysis. Users (undergraduate & graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates) will be trained to independently use the AUC and instrument time will be determined using the existing scheduling system for departmental instrumentation. A local advisory committee will provide oversight of the AUC and its operations. The optima AUC will be an integral component of the biophysical instrumentation portfolio at Saint Louis University and will have a significant impact on the NIH-funded research.