Synchrotron radiation (SR) is an extremely bright and tunable x-ray source that enables forefront research in structural molecular biology (SMB). A Synchrotron Structural Biology Resource is proposed for continuing support at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light source. (SSRL) by the NIH NIGMS and DOE BER to develop new technologies in macromolecular crystallography, x-ray absorption/emission spectroscopy and small angle x-ray scattering/diffraction, to train/support users, and to disseminate the newly developed capabilities to the biomedical research community. This proposal is for the continued funding, operation and future development of this SMB Resource. New initiatives will capitalize on the increasing SR performance of SSRL's 3rd generation storage ring SPEAR3. Proposed also is the development of selected SMB applications of LCLS. A principal aim is to optimize experimental facilities and instrumentation, detectors, software and compute performance on the SMB Resource's 9+ beam lines at SSRL (with another two in construction) to take full advantage of the high brightness provided by SPEAR3 at 500 mA current and provide innovative new instrumentation and methodologies. This will enable the SMB Resource to advance the scientific forefront with new initiatives built upon state-of-the-art instrumentation and methodologies, innovative software and automated/high-throughput systems for: studying high resolution structures/function of large, complex biomolecules and molecular machines; investigating fundamental questions in biophysics such as protein folding; and developing/improving methods for studying very fast time-resolved structural changes in chemical and biological systems with ultrafast or fast scattering and spectroscopy techniques. These scientific advancements will be facilitated by parallel developments in software to provide expanded capabilities for instrument and detector control, remote data collection and real-time data analysis. Driving biomedical projects and collaborative research and service programs involving a large number of outside scientists will drive and support core technological developments.
is to a number of important biological problems including the structure of enzymes, metalloproteins, membrane-bound proteins and viruses; the active site structure of metalloproteins involved in metabolism and photosynthesis; and how these structures change in different states or evolve in time as reactions or events like protein folding or conformational changes occur. Such information is more broadly important to the health-related areas of drug design, cancer research, and virology.
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