The instrument requested in this proposal, the Biacore T100, is an automated device to measure surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The Biacore instrument measures SPR using a microfluidic system that provides quantitative analysis capabilities to study, in detail, the specificity of the binding between two molecules, concentrations of specific molecules, protein kinetics, and binding affinity between two proteins. The generation of real-time quantitative data will help Georgetown University investigators further understand how and why proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids interact. This knowledge will be used to advance both basic and applied scientific knowledge with a significant focus on cancer biology and novel cancer therapies. Lombardi was able to obtain a used Biacore 1000 from NIH surplus and generate preliminary data as we begin to work towards achieving our research goals using SPR. Working with the B1000 at Georgetown University has given us an opportunity to gain experience and expertise with the instrument and SPR. Three of the major users, Drs. Toretsky, Wellstein, and Roy, have used the B1000 to generate key data for their projects. All three investigators required the SPR measurements to advance their projects and are now preparing manuscripts with this new data. All investigators listed as Major Users have funded projects that require enhanced SPR capabilities. Dr. Jones has a proposal and includes an aim that requires SPR. Drs. Pestell and Rui both have multiple established projects that will benefit considerably from SPR. These benefits are outlined in their project sections below. Our scientific needs have exceeded the capacity of the B1000. These needs include the enhanced ability of detecting smaller molecule interactions, temperature kinetics, and more rapid throughput to accommodate the growing interest and increased number of users at Georgetown's Lombardi Cancer Center. These enhanced capabilities of the T100 will allow projects investigating many types of biologic processes to advance.
