MRI: Acquisition of an Isothermal Titration Calorimeter

Suny College At Potsdam, Potsdam NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Through this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Professor Fadi Bou-Abdallah at SUNY Potsdam will acquire an isothermal titration calorimeter. It will support the research of colleagues at Potsdam, and nearby St Lawrence and Clarkson Universities. The primary research studies will include, 1) elucidation of how transferrin interacts with its specific receptor to bring about the efficient delivery of iron to cells, 2) thermodynamic characterization of enzyme behavior in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), 3) characterization of the thermodynamic interactions between neuron specific enolase (NSE) and anti-NSE antibody, 4) studies of heavy metal ion chelates with glutathione active complexing groups, 5) determination of the binding stoichiometry of two isoforms of the regulatory enzyme Rubisco Activase (RA) with Rubisco and thermodynamic characterization of these binding events, and 6) determination of the thermodynamics of nogalamycin binding to DNA. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a very sensitive thermodynamic technique that is used to characterize binding interactions between species such as a small molecule to an enzyme. ITC measures directly the heat absorbed or released during a binding reaction. This provides insight on the strength of chemical and biochemical binding interactions. This instrument will be used in research by undergraduates at the three collaborating institutions and made available to other institutions in the region. It will be incorporated into several upper division level laboratory classes.