Purchase of Equipment for Polypeptide Synthesis, Purification, and Analysis

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Multiuser program (CRIF:MU), the Department of Chemistry at Louisiana State University will acquire a Circular Dichroism spectrometer system. The spectrometer will be housed in the LSU protein facility and will be used by faculty at LSU and regional institutions to characterize protein structure. Some of the studies to be carried out include: (1) protein folding of DNA polymerases; (2) the study of peptides and proteins for inhibition of protein-protein interactions; (3) the synthesis and characterization of complex peptides containing post-translationally modified amino acids; (4) biophysical and structural investigations of glycoproteins; (5) designed peptides for biology and biomaterials; and (6) the crystallographic analysis of inhibitors bound to acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Circular Dichroism spectrometers, like the one purchased under this award, allow chemists to probe the secondary and higher structures in large biomolecules. Insight into the structure of these complex molecules helps scientists to understand the way that these molecules function in living systems, including humans. Besides the broader scientific impact of the science enabled by this equipment, the spectrometer will be used to train a very diverse group of young scientists at Louisiana State University.