Advanced spectrometer with time-resolved mid-infrared and near-infrared capabilities for studies of membrane proteins and polymers

FTIR光谱是一种强大的分析技术，它使研究人员能够快速、非破坏性地研究生物样品和聚合物的结构特性。它可以在静态和时间分辨模式下使用，其中后者允许真实的时间内跟踪生物分子的功能变化。我们要求现代FTIR光谱仪具有微秒时间分辨能力（所谓的步进扫描）和宽光谱范围，这使得不仅可以研究蛋白质（中红外），还可以研究聚合物和其他复杂介质（近红外）。我们将把这些技术应用于广泛的科学问题，从生物学和医学上重要的膜蛋白作为离子，水和小分子的转运蛋白的研究到工业相关聚合物的结构。特别是，我们将研究新的微生物光传感器和光驱动离子泵（微生物视紫红质），人类水通道（水通道蛋白）和激素受体（G蛋白偶联受体），以及细菌的光传感器（ProP）。除了本身作为一种强大的结构方法外，FTIR还将被用作另一种尖端结构技术--固态NMR的质量控制技术，圭尔夫大学在这方面拥有出色的设施和积极的研究计划。这种对膜蛋白结构和功能的研究具有广泛的生物医学影响，因为这些蛋白质构成了市场上约一半的药物靶标。最后，我们将使用FTIR光谱仪的近红外功能来查看工业聚合物的结构细节，以合理设计其改进的组成。

FTIR spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique, which enables researchers to look into structural properties of biological samples and polymers quickly and non-destructively. It can be used in static and time-resolved modes, where the latter allows following functional changes of biomolecules in real time. We request modern FTIR spectrometer with microsecond time-resolved capabilities (so called step-scan) and broad spectral range, which gives possibility to study not only proteins (mid-infrared) but also polymers and other complex media (near-infrared). We will apply these techniques to a wide range of scientific problems, ranging from studies of biologically and medically important membrane proteins serving as transporters of ions, water, and small molecules to structure of industrially relevant polymers. In particular, we will study novel microbial photosensors and light-driven ion pumps (microbial rhodopsins), human water channels (aquaporins) and hormone receptors (G-protein coupled receptors), and bacterial osmosensors (ProP). Besides serving as a powerful structural method by itself, FTIR will be also used as a quality control technique for another cutting-edge structural technique, solid-state NMR, for which University of Guelph has excellent facilities and active research program. Such research on structure and function of membrane proteins has broad biomedical impact, as these proteins constitute about a half of drug targets on the market. Finally, we will employ near-infrared capability of FTIR spectrometer to look at structural details of industrial polymers with the aim of rational design of their improved composition.