Large volume preparative ultracentrifuge for the enhancement of membrane biophysics research at Guelph

生物膜是一种多功能的蛋白质脂复合体，负责多种重要的细胞功能，包括传感、生物能量学、运输和酶活性。Guelph的膜生物物理组研究脂膜的结构和动力学，膜转运体和光传感器中的结构/功能关系，以及蛋白质和多肽与膜的相互作用。通过先进的光谱和显微技术制备用于生物物理研究的样品包括相对大容量的超速离心机，这就是为什么拥有专用的大容量超速离心机是必不可少的。所要求的超速离心机将促进许多研究生和本科生以及博士后研究员的研究，他们从事的基础项目涉及胆固醇对生物膜的影响、医学上重要的人体膜蛋白、细菌发病机制和抗菌化合物的作用机制等。

Biological membranes are multifunctional proteolipid complexes, responsible for the multitude of vital cellular functions, including sensing, bioenergetics, transport, and enzymatic activities. Membrane biophysics group at Guelph studes structure and dynamics of lipid membranes, structure/function relationship in membrane transporters and photosensors, as well as interaction of proteins and peptides with membranes. Preparation of the samples for biophysical studies by advanced spectroscopic and microscopic techniques includes ultracentrifugation of relatively large volumes, this is why having a dedicated large volume ultracentrifuge is essential. The requested ultracentrifuge will advance research of many graduate and undergraduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, who work on fundamental projects related, among other topics, to effects of cholesterol on biological membranes, medically important human membrane proteins, bacterial pathogenesis, and mechanism of action of antimicrobial compounds.