Protein Knowledge Suite - ITC and DSC systems

该提案是一项资金申请，用于在圭尔夫大学校园内建立一个蛋白质知识套件（PKS），其中将包含一个纳米等温滴定量热仪（nano-ITC）和一个纳米差示扫描量热仪（nano-DSC），这将增强我们目前的生物化学仪器设施。所要求的PKS将赋予圭尔夫校区快速筛选和优化蛋白质和酶的稳定性的能力，并表征蛋白质与许多不同靶分子的相互作用。这种强大而独特的方法从热力学角度提供了对蛋白质-配体，蛋白质-蛋白质和蛋白质-膜相互作用的基本理解，这也扩展到其他大分子（碳水化合物聚合物和膜）的研究。这些设备将用于的示例项目包括了解可以保护植物免受气候变化影响的应激蛋白，发现可以用于类固醇合成的酶，检查蛋白质，如在纳米技术中具有潜在应用的肌动蛋白，以及更多的生物技术主题。这个独特的PKS设施将每天被主要用户使用，其中包括8名PI，40名研究生，4名博士后研究人员和许多本科研究项目的学生。值得注意的是，PKS代表了全球生物技术公司正在采用的尖端技术，利用PKS的研究学员所获得的技能将在企业界具有很高的市场价值。收购PKS还将为我们的各种研究项目提供领导力和国际竞争力，并将对加拿大年轻研究人员的培训产生重大影响。

This proposal is a request for funds to establish a protein knowledge suite (PKS) on the University of Guelph campus, which will contain a nano-Isothermal Titration Calorimeter (nano-ITC), and a nano-Differential Scanning Calorimeter (nano-DSC), which will augment our current Biochemistry Instrument Facility. The requested PKS would endow the Guelph campus with the capability to rapidly screen and optimize the stability of proteins and enzymes, and to characterize the interaction of proteins with many different target molecules. This powerful and unique approach provides fundamental understanding of protein-ligand, protein-protein, and protein-membrane interactions from a thermodynamic perspective, which also extends to the study of other macromolecules (carbohydrate polymers and membranes). Example projects for which these pieces of equipment will be used include understanding stress proteins that can protect plants from climate change, discovering enzymes that can be used for steroid synthesis, examining proteins such as actin that have a potential application in nanotechnology, and many more biotechnological themes. This unique PKS facility will be used daily by major users, which includes 8 PIs, 40 graduate students, 4 post-doctoral researchers, and many undergraduate research project students. Notably, the PKS represents cutting-edge technology that is being adopted by global Biotechnology companies, and the skills acquired by research trainees utilizing the PKS will be highly marketable in the corporate world. The acquisition of the PKS will also provide leadership and international competitiveness in our various research programs, and will have a large impact on the training of young Canadian researchers.