The Oregon Graduate Institute of Science & Technology has operated a Raman spectroscopy laboratory since 1970 with an outstanding record of national and international research accomplishments in chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry. Members of the Department of Chemical & Biological Sciences propose a major upgrade of the instrument through the acquisition of a Raman spectrometer equipped with a charge- coupled device (CCD) detector and customized sample-handing optics. Preliminary tests have shown that the improvement in signal-to-noise of a CCD-equipped instrument over a single-channel spectrophotometer ranges from 20 to 50. This translates into an increase in light-gathering power by the square of the S/N, or 400- to 2500-fold. The new instrumentation will significantly increase spectral quality, reduce data collection times, and permit the use of much lower laser power. In conventional resonance Raman spectroscopy, laser-induced sample damage limits the utility of signal averaging. Experiments will be possible with the CCD detector that cannot now be performed, and include research on (1) the catalytic mechanism of cytochrome d oxidase, (2) the biochemistry of lignin-degrading peroxidases, (3) the structure of cupredoxins having isotopically labeled ligands and site-directed ligand mutations, (4) the structure and reactivity of novel quinone redox cofactors, (5) the role of b-cytochromes in phogocytic cells, (6) the inorganic chemistry of water- slitting catalysts, and (7) ligand-directed spectroscopy of copper mono-oxygenases.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
9216592
Program Officer
Michael K. Lamvik
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1993-03-01
Budget End
1995-02-28
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
$121,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Oregon Graduate Institute of Science & Technology
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Beaverton
State
OR
Country
United States
Zip Code
97006