Synchrotron radiation (SR) is an extremely bright source of light across the electromagnetic spectrum that allows detailed interrogation of the structure and dynamics of biological samples. Advances in SR technologies over the past 10 years have resMted in life scientists becoming the most frequent users of these facilities. Continued progress in structural molecular biology will require rapid structure determination of individual macromolecules and understanding the structure and dynamics of macromolecular complexes and very large assemblies that mediate cellular processes like replication, transcription, translation, metastasis, and apoptosis. Further advancement and efficient implementation of SR technologies will be critical to meeting this challenge. The Albert Einstein Center for Synchrotron Biosciences (CSB), which operates four beamlines and biochemical laboratories at the National Synchrotron Light Source and advanced biochemistry and biophysics facilities at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is developing new biomedical technologies as core research projects in synchrotron nucleic acid footprinting, synchrotron protein footprinting, and synchrotron infrared spectroscopy, as well as providing beamline infrastructure for macromolecular crystallography and X-ray absorption spectroscopy research. The core research is driven by 15 collaborative projects tightly coupled to the technological developments. The service activities of the Research Resource are growing rapidly in all areas of CSB research; the renewal proposal lists 77 collaborative and service projects from over 50 institutions around the world Supported by over 100 funded grant programs. Pro-active dissemination and training programs are resulting in increased numbers of users and spreading the CSB's technologies. the renewal, our synchrotron nucleic acid footprinting technologies will examine macromolecular reactions in exquisite detail on the single milliseconds timescale enabled by a new undulator beamline, a new rapid mixer, and advanced data analysis techniques. Improved methods of synchrotron protein footprinfing will allow a meticulous examination of protein dynamics with millisecond time resolution, will probe the intimate interactions of large complexes, and will provide valuable information on membrane protein structure. We will develop mixing technology with tens of microseconds time resolution mated to examination of structural dynamics by synchrotron infrared spectroscopy, in addition, planned advances in far-infrared and mid-infrared micro-spectroscopy will be unique to the CSB. Our implementation of advanced synchrotron x-ray methods to crystallography and x-ray absorption spectroscopy research will continue to serve a vibrant, well-funded user community and meet critical regional resource needs. In particular, the completion of the X-29 """"""""small-gap"""""""" undulator beamline will provide an exceptional resource for Northeastern researchers.
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