Case Center for Synchrotron Biosciences
These include X-ray crystallography for protein structure determination, X-ray spectroscopy for examination of metalloprotein structure, and synchrotron footprinting technologies for examining macromolecular structure and dynamics. The Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine established the Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics for expanding the state-of-the art in proteomics research. This center provides administrative oversight for the Case Center for Synchrotron Biosciences (CSB) which is funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) as a Biotechnology Research Resource to serve an international community of biomedical scientists. The CSB is catalyzing further development and application of synchrotron radiation tools through a number of multidisciplinary collaborations and partnerships. The research facility is located at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in New York. NSLS-II, as a Department of Energy funded facility, has as a mission to provide academic institutions access to synchrotron light through various general user, collaboration and consortium arrangements.
Scientific Highlight from ALS Footprinting Program:
Local and Global Structural Drivers for the Photoactivation of the Orange Carotenoid Protein.
Photoprotective mechanisms are of fundamental importance for the survival of photosynthetic organisms. In cyanobacteria, the orange carotenoid protein (OCP), when activated by intense blue light, binds to the light-harvesting antenna and triggers the dissipation of excess captured light energy. Using a combination of multiple techniques including X-ray footprinting, Gupta et al identified both the local and global structural changes in the OCP upon photoactivation.
The CSB has developed and constructed a new beamline for X-ray Footprinting, XFP (X-ray Footprinting for in Vitro and in Vivo Structural Studies of Biological Macromolecules), located at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in Upton, NY. In addition to constructing the beamline itself, the research team at NSLS-II XFP designs, tests, and implements state-of-the-art instrumentation and sample handling equipment for synchrotron footprinting.
All new users are required to complete NSLS-II specific safety training upon arrival. This process can be completed online prior to your arrival.