Acquisition of automated crystallization and imaging systems

描述（由申请人提供）：在本提案中，要求资金用于购买自动结晶和成像系统，以支持康奈尔大学威尔医学院（WMCCU）和邻近的洛克菲勒大学（RU）的生物医学研究。该仪器将直接支持14名NIH资助的研究人员和41名NIH资助的研究经费，并作为WMCCU建立良好的x射线晶体学核心设施的核心资源。目前，x射线晶体学核心设施具备优秀的内部晶体筛选和数据收集能力，但缺乏结晶资源，这是晶体学研究的瓶颈。为了允许具有挑战性的大分子目标的多种结构和多种复合物的中通量和小体积结晶，并促进更广泛的科学界成员开始晶体学研究，WMCCU和RU迫切需要结晶机器人设备。所要求的仪器包括一个半自动溶液处理机器人，能够使用每滴少至50升的蛋白质溶液进行结晶试验，以及一个用于结晶试验分析和记录的半自动成像系统。这些仪器将提供WMCCU以及邻近的RU和斯隆-凯特林研究所目前不存在的能力。结晶和成像系统都将位于x射线晶体学核心设施的200摄氏度温控室中，并将向参与该应用程序的pi和三机构（WMCCU， RU和Sloan-Kettering研究所）区域的其他研究人员开放。公共卫生相关性：x射线晶体学是在原子水平上测定大分子结构的最有力方法之一。半自动结晶和成像系统的收购将直接支持NIH资助的研究，旨在了解基本的生物过程，如信号转导、转录、配体跨膜运输和细菌发病机制，以及了解人类疾病，如癌症、阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病和微生物感染。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this proposal, funds are requested to acquire automated crystallization and imaging systems to support biomedical research at Weill Medical College of Cornell University (WMCCU) and the neighboring Rockefeller University (RU). The instrument will directly support 14 NIH funded researchers and 41 NIH funded research grants and serve as a core resource in the well established X-ray crystallography core facility of the WMCCU. Currently, the X-ray crystallography core facility is equipped with excellent capability for in-house crystal screening and data collection, but lacks any resources for crystallization, a bottleneck for crystallographic pursuit. To allow medium throughput and small volume crystallization of multiple constructs and multiple complexes of challenging macromolecular targets and to facilitate initiation of crystallographic studies by members of a broader scientific community, there is a critical need for a crystallization robotic device at WMCCU and RU. The instruments requested include a semi-automatic solution-handling robot capable of setting crystallization trials using as little as 50 nl protein solution per drop and a semi-automatic imaging system for the analysis and documentation of crystallization trials. The instruments will provide capabilities that do not currently exist in the WMCCU as well as the neighboring RU and the Sloan-Kettering Institute. Both the crystallization and the imaging system will be located in the 200C temperature controlled room in the X-ray crystallography core facility and will be made accessible to both participating PIs in this application and other researchers in the tri-institutional (WMCCU, RU and Sloan-Kettering Institute) area. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: X-ray crystallography is one of the most powerful methods for determination of macromolecular structures at atomic level. The acquisition of semi-automated crystallization and imaging systems will directly support NIH sponsored research aimed at understanding basic biological processes such as signal transduction, transcription, ligand transport across membranes and bacterial pathogenesis and at understanding human diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and microbial infection.