This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This Major Research Instrumentation-Recovery and Reinvestment (MRI-R2) award funds the acquisition of an X-ray diffractometer to support basic research programs through the departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry at Marquette University. The instrument also has broad inter-institutional use, supporting the basic research programs of additional faculty members at regional institutions. The diffractometer supports and enhances research programs that address structural aspects of biological macromolecules in a wide variety of systems. These programs include research on the structure and function of metabolic enzymes, protein-protein interactions contributing to essential cellular complexes, structural mechanisms of gene transcription and regulation, and the structure and function of proteins with antibacterial or antifungal activity. Structural biology is integrally tied to an undergraduate education in biology, biochemistry, and chemistry. The X-ray diffractometer at Marquette will be used to expose both graduate and undergraduate students to the increasingly accessible technique of macromolecular crystallography. Projects that involve the crystallization of proteins and DNA are well suited to undergraduate researchers who are gaining their first experience in the laboratory. Undergraduate students conducting independent research at Marquette learn crystallization techniques and gain first-hand experience with the X-ray diffractometer. Demonstrations are also performed for high school students in the Milwaukee School of Engineering's "Students Modeling a Research Topic" (SMART) program and in Marquette's Equal Opportunities Program. The addition of the X-ray diffractometer for macromolecular crystallography complements Marquette's infrastructure in NMR and small molecule X-ray crystallography, and enhances Marquette's ability to perform cutting edge research while maintaining our dedication to providing students with a diverse spectrum of research activities and opportunities. Results from the studies enabled by the new equipment will be disseminated by student and faculty presentations at regional and national meetings, and through publication in peer-reviewed journals.
This project supported the purchase of a powerful new X-ray diffraction system, housed at Marquette University. This instrument enables researchers to directly visualize the structures of biological molecules by directing a highly focused X-ray beam at crystals grown from biological molecules, through a process known as macromolecular X-ray crystallography. This technique allows the detailed structures of biological molecules to be observed. X-ray crystallography is indispensable in modern biology and it is critical for researchers and students in Southeastern Wisconsin to have sufficient access to X-ray diffraction instrumentation. Prior to this award, only one X-ray system was available for macromolecular crystallography in Milwaukee (at the Medical College of Wisconsin), with more than 10 researchers at various Milwaukee institutions requiring access to this instrumentation. The installation of a second, more powerful and complementary X-ray diffraction system in Milwaukee has facilitated structural biology research at both Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, all the while exposing the next generation of high school and college students to this modern, state-of-the-art technology. The system was installed in a dedicated laboratory at Marquette University in August 2010 and it has been fully operational since that time, requiring only minimal periods of down time for scheduled and corrective maintenance. The instrument has contributed substantially to research efforts in the laboratories of the PI and Co-PI and has facilitated the research of several collaborating researchers at Marquette University and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. The diffraction system was used to characterize crystal quality and to collect X-ray diffraciton data for a variety of structural projects. In particular, this instrument has contributed to the detailed characterization of several enzyme systems which has led to a more detailed description of how highly proficient enzymes stabilize transition states, how multiple active sites in an enzyme can be coordinated to achieve complex chemical reactions and how enzymes have evolved to achieve unique catalytic activities and substrate preferences. In addition to facilitating structural biology research in Southeastern Wisconsin, the X-ray diffraction system has been used to expose high school, undergraduate and graduate students to X-ray crystallography. More than 20 undergraduate students have been exposed to the instrument through independent research at Marquette University and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Several of these students have continued on to pursue graduate degrees in the fields of Biophysics and Biochemistry. Through our interaction with the Milwaukee School of Engineering SMART program, high school students throughout the Milwaukee region have been exposed to the instrument through personalized tours and annual presentations.
