MRI:Acquisition of a Circular Dichroism Spectrophotometer for Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Chemistry and Biology at an Undergraduate College

Wellesley College, Wellesley Hills MA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, the Department of Chemistry at Wellesley College will acquire a circular dichroism (CD) spectrophotometer for use in research and training of students. Research projects involve a wide array of problems at the chemistry-biology interface including: 1) How the structure of antimicrobial peptides is related to their ability to cross and disrupt cell membranes, 2) Measurement of the structural effect of cell-signaling mutations associated with lymphomas, 3) The aggregation behavior of peptides related to neurological diseases, 4) A study of the structure-function relationships of an enzyme that processes neuropeptides, and 5) The biochemical characterization of a protein thought to play a critical role in membrane trafficking events during plant cell cytokinesis. A circular dichroism spectrophotometer will produce spectral data that provides information on molecular structure and especially the conformations of bio-molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and enzymes. The instrument will be used in research and laboratory classes by undergraduate students. The CD spectrophotometer will be integrated into Introductory Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry laboratories by applying circular dichroism spectra to the study of intermolecular interactions, geometric isomers and protein structure.