Metrologies for Protein Structure, Dynamics and Function

Summary

NIST researchers in the Biomolecular Structure and Function Group are involved in a joint research program with scientists from the University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR) that focuses on precision measurements of the physical, chemical and structural properties of proteins. Together, NIST and IBBR have established world-class facilities that include resources to determine protein structure using cryo-electron microscopy, small angle x-ray scattering and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Researchers in this program are internationally recognized in the areas of experimental and computational modeling studies of protein structure and function.

Description

Based on its established expertise, infrastructure, and resources for structure/function studies of biological macromolecules, the program aims to impact advances in physics, chemistry, and engineering relevant to biological problems. NIST researchers also develop new technologies for application to structural studies on proteins and macromolecular complexes, for protein production, and for functional characterization of proteins. This research will have a significant contribution in systems biology since the commercialization of information and products from systems approaches will be measurement intensive.

A primary aim of this program area is to promote advanced research and interdisciplinary training in fundamental problems at the forefront of biological science through the collaboration of scientists from NIST and UM, with special emphasis placed on theoretical and experimental approaches to the structure and function of pharmaceutically relevant proteins. NIST researchers and UM collaborators involved in this program possess significant experience and expertise in the theory and measurement of macromolecular structure-function relationships that underlie virtually all biological processes. Main areas of study include molecules and complexes of immune systems, diverse members of large enzyme families, potential drug targets in pathogenic organisms, and RNA molecules and their protein complexes. 

Recently, the approach taken by NIST and IBBR scientists in this program has been to enhance and build upon a strong foundation in the quantitative study of biomolecular systems in a way that enables a rigorous and comprehensive understanding of biological systems at a molecular level. For example, studies of a complex biological system require the determination of the structure and function of the macromolecular components, a determination of how and when the components interact, and the ability to model the system and represent large amount of diverse data.