This Major Research Instrumentation award funds the acquisition of a plasmon resonance spectrometer for the Molecular Interactions Core Facility at CUNY Brooklyn College. The spectrometer will be the first dedicated instrument in the new Molecular Interactions Core Facility. Researchers are using the new spectrometer to investigate functional amyloids in biofilms, metal adsorption and persistence in prions, plant cell receptors for Agrobacterium tumefaciens, protein-protein interactions necessary for biosynthesis of polyketides in Mycobacteria, small molecule binding to DNA, centromere-protein interactions in the mitotic complex, and other topics. The spectrometer thus enhances research capability, promotes intra- and inter-departmental collaboration, and provides experience with state-of-the-art instruments for a group of highly diverse faculty, post-doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate researchers. Results from the studies conducted with the new spectrometer will be broadly disseminated through abstracts and peer reviewed publications, as well as by active participation at professional meetings.
Under this award, we established a Molecular Interactions Facility in the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences at CUNY Brooklyn College. The grant funded directly the purchase of the first two major instruments, and the initial hiring of a facility Director. These instruments, a plasmon resonance spectrometer and a dual grating time-resolved fluorimeter, were subsequently supplemented by addition of an Olympus F100i "plug and Play" confocal microscope, a CD spectrometer, a UV-Visible spectrometer, a centrifuge, a liquid scintillation counter, a flow cytometer, and a gel documentation station, all funded from other sources. Consequently, this NSF MRI grant led to a great increase in the research capacity at Brooklyn College. In all, 4 research groups used the NSF-funded instruments to explore biomolecular interactions, including 4 PI’s, 2 post-docs, a grad student, and several undergraduates. The NSF-founded facility, through its Director has introduced these instruments to a dozen research groups, 6 post-docs, 7 PhD students, and dozens of Brooklyn College undergraduates and Master’s students. The scientific outcomes of the NSF-purchased instruments have so far included 7 peer-reviewed papers and a dozen posters at scientific meetings. More papers and presentations are in process. There have been three major areas of scientific advance that would not have been possible without these instruments. Dr. Lipke’s lab has discovered and characterized amyloid-like nanodomains on cell surfaces. These nanodomains are composed of cell adhesion proteins interacting through homologous amyloid-like interactions to form high avidity patches on cell surfaces. Dr. Juszczak’s group has now demonstrated how fluorescence of tryptophan residues in proteins is determined by local environment. Her work has the potential to facilitate analysis of protein structure near these amino acid residues in almost any protein. Finally, Dr. Davenport’s study of four-stranded DNA structures have led to better understanding of the flexibility of DNA in chromosomes, and may help us to design drugs that affect chromosome structure. Thus, this NSF MRI grant has had a great impact on the training of scientists at levels from undergraduate to Professor. The funding has also been key in our exploration and understanding in three new areas. This has shown us novel types of molecular interactions and has given us tools to analyze biological molecular interactions.
