Support is requested for the purchase of a computer-interfaced CD spectropolarimeter for use by several investigators within three different departments of the university. A common interest among the primary users is the determination of the conformation and structure of both water-soluble and membrane-bound peptides and proteins. Several users also have strong research efforts directed toward the investigation of the thermodynamics of protein stability and the kinetic mechanism of protein folding and unfolding. Thus, an instrument has been chosen based on its capabilities to obtain high quality far-UV spectra as well as the ability to make measurements as a function of temperature and on a rapid time scale. Access to this instrumentation, which is presently unavailable, would enhance the research efforts of several groups, and would foster new collaborative efforts to study protein structure and function relationships at UAB.
