Ultracentrifugation can provide direct, quantitative information concerning the purity, size, shape and interactions of biological macromolecules. The development of a modern analytical ultracentrifuge methods for macromolecules and automated methods for the analysis and interpretation of ultracentrifugal data is important for advances in molecular biology. The tasks addressed by this proposal include: 1) completing the development of real- time, gravitational-sweep sedimentation velocity analysis, including the integration of graphics-based data interpretation software, 2) development of methods for the analysis of associations between molecules which are heterogeneous with respect to buoyant mass, and 3) adapting the real-time interference optical system to the XL-An ultracentrifuge. The ultimate goal is to provide the scientific community with a modern, fully-automated instrument and software capable of complete hydrodynamic and thermodynamic analyses.
