The primary goal of BioCAT is to construct and operate facilities at Argonne National Laboratory's Advanced Photon Source to study the structure and dynamics of biological and related systems at the molecular level using x-ray synchrotron radiation, with a focus on partially ordered samples such as membranes, fibers, and solutions. The primary research techniques supported by the proposed facilities will be resonant (anomalous) and non-resonant x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, with emphasis on time-resolved studies, polarized XAFS, hybrid diffraction/spectroscopic techniques, and development of novel techniques which exploit the unique properties of the APS. Instrumentation and techniques developed by BioCAT will make existing facilities more useful and productive. Modern advances in molecular biology have their roots in studies of molecular structure. Most of this work is based on macromolecular crystallography. However, most biological structures (e.g., muscle fibers, nerve myelin, connective tissues) are non-crystalline, and it is these partially ordered structures that we wish to study using the most advanced technologies. Recent technological developments on several fronts have conspired to create important new opportunities in structural biology. These key technologies include: advanced synchrotron radiation sources; 2-dimensional and higher dimensional NMR; recombinant DNA technology, especially site directed mutagenesis of proteins; and high performance computing. The BioCAT project will directly support synchrotron radiation research and will exploit high performance computing. Member scientists will exploit the remaining complementary technologies for both fundamental and applied biomedical research. BioCAT is an initiative of a national group of active researchers in academia and industry. In addition to core R&D and collaborative research projects, BioCAT facilities will be made widely available to the biophysical and biochemical research community through a peer review process. This project is specifically intended to complement the Argonne National Laboratory's Structural Biology Center (SBC), which focuses on macromolecular crystallography. A vital component of BioCAT activities will be education and training of research scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and students through short courses, workshops, technical reports, and a newsletter.
