MRI: Acquisition of Automated Isothermal Titration Calorimeter for Biophysical Research at Texas State University

MRI：德克萨斯州立大学购买自动等温滴定量热仪用于生物物理研究

• 批准号: 2216145
• 负责人: Karen Lewis
• 金额: $ 26.53万
• 依托单位: Texas State University - San Marcos
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2216145&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Automated; Isothermal; Titration

An award is made to Texas State University to acquire an automated MicroCal PEAQ isothermal titration calorimeter for the analysis of interactions between biological macromolecules. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measures the heat generated by chemical reactions or processes. The relationships between heat and the fundamental thermodynamic parameters (free energy, enthalpy, entropy, and heat capacity) enables ITC to measure directly those properties that describe a system’s ability to perform work – a key concept for understanding biological life. Because of this, ITC is a classical method that is widely used to characterize the interactions between macromolecules, especially including nucleic acids and proteins. As the first calorimetric instrumentation for the analysis of biological macromolecules at Texas State University, the Automated PEAQ-ITC significantly expands the biophysical research capacity of the institution. Texas State University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution with a large population of first-generation and non-traditional students, and this ITC system provides invaluable training and education opportunities. The instrumentation will afford experience to undergraduate and graduate students in both biophysical methodology and contemporary high-throughput automation. In addition, this ITC will support ongoing efforts in research and education to integrate the disciplines of physics, chemistry, and biology for the precise and quantitative characterization of interactions between biological macromolecules that underpin all mechanisms of life.The Texas State Automated PEAQ-ITC will be used to analyze the energetics associated with a wide range of biomolecular interactions. In particular, we will use ITC to study protein-protein interactions that are part of protein-folding pathways, phase-separation events, cellular signaling pathways, and DNA repair complexes. Protein-nucleic acid interactions that drive the formation of complexes regulating DNA repair processes, mRNA trafficking, and protein translation will also be studied. Small molecule-DNA binding assays, monitored by ITC, will identify how the formation of noncanonical DNA structures (e.g., quadruplexes and triplexes) can be modulated by ligands. Finally, the automated feature of the ITC is especially beneficial for fragment-based ligand discovery and characterization, which will be used to find new reagents that allosterically control cell signaling networks.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

德克萨斯州立大学获得自动化 MicroCal PEAQ 等温滴定量热仪，用于分析生物大分子之间的相互作用。等温滴定量热法 (ITC) 测量化学反应或过程产生的热量与基本热力学之间的关系。参数（自由能、焓、熵和热容）使 ITC 能够直接测量描述系统做功能力的属性——这是理解生物生命的关键概念。 ITC 是一种广泛用于表征大分子之间相互作用的经典方法，尤其是核酸和蛋白质之间的相互作用。作为德克萨斯州立大学第一个用于分析生物大分子的量热仪器，自动化 PEAQ-ITC 显着扩展了生物物理研究能力。德克萨斯州立大学是一所为西班牙裔服务的机构，拥有大量第一代和非传统学生，该 ITC 系统将为本科生和研究生提供宝贵的培训和教育机会。此外，该 ITC 将支持正在进行的研究和教育工作，以整合物理、化学和生物学学科，以精确和定量地表征支撑所有生物大分子之间的相互作用。德克萨斯州自动化 PEAQ-ITC 将用于分析与各种生物分子相互作用相关的能量学，特别是，我们将使用 ITC 研究作为蛋白质折叠途径一部分的蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用。还将研究驱动调节 DNA 修复过程、mRNA 运输和蛋白质翻译的复合物形成的相分离事件、细胞信号传导途径和 DNA 修复复合物，并通过小分子-DNA 测定结合进行监测。 ITC 将确定如何通过配体调节非规范 DNA 结构（例如四链体和三链体）的形成。最后，ITC 的自动化功能特别有利于基于片段的配体发现和表征。该奖项将用于寻找变构控制细胞信号网络的新试剂。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。