The University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMAB) and The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) Medical Biotechnology Center (MBC) have made a strong commitment to the development of NMR as a structural tool by establishing a macromolecular NMR structure group on campus. All elements required for complete structure elucidation of proteins in solution are now present on campus, with the exception of a suitable high- field NMR spectrometer. The funds requested in this proposal ($400,000.00) would provide the remaining 32% of the required funds for the acquisition of a state-of-the art 600 MHz NMR spectrometer. The remaining funds ($850,000.00) and the space required for supporting an NMR facility will be provided by various sources from the University. UMAB has a School of Medicine, a School of Pharmacy, and a School of Dentistry which will have access to the instrument. MBC is located adjacent to UMAB, and faculty in that institute also have the need for a high field NMR spectrometer. The NMR will be housed in a new building in a central location of the UMAB campus. An NMR room and laboratory space have been designed which meet all the specifications required to obtain high quality NMR spectra. An internal advisory committee exists to provide guidelines about the daily operation and the organizational plan of the facility. There are already several NIH funded projects and new projects which currently require NMR time. These include: Structure/Function Studies of S100beta Complexes (David Weber); NMR Studies of the Gp3l Chaperonin Protein (Lindsay Black); Molecular Determinants of K+ Channel Toxin Selectivity (Mordecai Blaustein); Interactions of Skeletal Muscle Troponin Subunits (John Collins); Studies of Prothrombin-Surface Interactions by NMR and Fluorescence Spectroscopy (David Weber and Joseph Lakowicz); NMR Structural Studies of Opioid Peptide-Receptor Interactions (Ronald Guiles); Novel NMR Studies of Heme Proteins Involved in Anemia (Ronald Guiles); Computational Studies of Neuropeptides in Micellar Systems (Alexander MacKerell); and Mutational Analysis of E. Coli DNA Topoisomerase III (Russell Digate). The specific needs for a high field 600 MHz NMR spectrometer located on the UMAB campus for these projects are discussed.
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