Protein characterization via light scattering temperature controlled crystal growth and strutural refinement

蛋白质x射线晶体学是在原子水平上测定蛋白质结构的主要技术。这些结构的知识是定义和理解复杂生化反应和控制机制的起点。这种对催化和结合过程的理解可以用来解决潜在疾病途径的复杂过程，并制定对抗疾病的策略。这种策略的最常见的例子是基于它们与特定酶或调节蛋白结合的可能性来设计新的抗菌和抗病毒药物。此外，正在设计新的药物，通过干扰或刺激人类和动物体内的代谢途径来改善引起疾病症状的异常生化过程。这三位申请者的实验室研究重点是了解与催化转化相关的亚基间信号，设计新的抗菌药物以及研究药物活化和抗氧化酶。一个专注于蛋白质结构测定的现代结构生物学实验室结合了许多技术，整合了从基因分离到蛋白质表达和纯化到蛋白质结构测定的步骤。本应用程序所要求的设备是该策略的组成部分，包括用于分析光散射特性的粘度计，用于晶体生长的受控温度室和用于结构精细计算的计算机网络。

Protein X-ray crystallography is the primary technology used for the determination of protein structures at the atomic level. Knowledge of such structures is the starting point for defining and understanding complex biochemical reaction and control mechanisms. This understanding of catalytic and binding processes can then be exploited to tackle the complex processes underlying disease pathways and to devise strategies for combating diseases. The most common example of such strategies is the design of new anti-bacterial and anti-viral drugs based on the likelihood of their binding to specific enzymes or regulatory proteins. In addition, new drugs are being designed that either interfere with or stimulate metabolic pathways within humans and animals to ameliorate aberrant biochemical processes causing disease symptoms. Research in the laboratories of the three applicants is focused on understanding intersubunit signaling linked to catalytic turnover, the design of new anti-bacterial drugs and the study of drug activating and anti-oxidant enzymes. A modern structural biology laboratory focused on protein structure determination combines a number of technologies to integrate the steps from gene isolation through protein expression and purification to protein structure determination. The equipment requested in this application is integral to this strategy and include a viscometer to analyze the light scattering properties, a controlled temperature chamber for crystal growth and a computer network for structural refinement computations.