MRI: Acquisition of Crystallographic Equipment and Excellence in Crystallographic Science and Education at Temple University and the Surrounding Community

Temple University, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is jointly supported by the Major Research Instrumentation and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Programs. Temple University is acquiring a dual-source single crystal diffractometer to support the research of Professor Michael Zdilla, colleague Richard H Baxter, as well as eight senior personnel, and sixteen collaborators. In general, an X-ray diffractometer allows accurate and precise measurements of the full three-dimensional structure of a molecule, including bond distances and angles, and provides accurate information about the spatial arrangement of a molecule relative to neighboring molecules. The studies described here impact many areas such as, synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry, catalysis, materials, physics, nanoscience, engineering, energy science, biochemistry, chemical biology, and structural biology. This instrument is an integral part of teaching as well as research and research training of undergraduate and graduate students in multiple disciplines including chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy and engineering. The facility serves as a regional XRD resource benefitting students and faculty from Temple and in the surrounding community. For example, there are numerous users located at Drexel University. The award is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels. Research enabled by the instrument is focused on research in inorganic chemistry, materials, and crystallography, including the synthesis of transition metal clusters with implications for energy science. The role of innate immunity in insect hosts for vector- borne diseases will be enabled with the crystal structures of thioester-containing protein 1 (TEP1), a key factor in the response of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae to Plasmodium, and the mosquito-specific leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins, Leucine-rich repeat immune proteins (LRIMs). Research on the development of solid or gel electrolytes for lithium or sodium ion/metal batteries will rely on SCXRD of important compounds. Researcher will be able to assess structural properties of potential catalysts and refine methods for production of organic molecules more rapidly and accurately. XRD will be used to investigate the self-assembly and colloidal stability of different supramolecular systems (supramolecular dendrimers, supported lipid bilayers and liposomes), in the design, synthesis, purification, characterization and biological testing of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) and activators (CAAs), synthesis and self-assembling study of amphiphiles of different molecular weights (simple and gemini surfactants, lipids, dendrons and dendrimers and polymers) and their use as delivery systems in cancer treatment. Work on spiroligomers requires both small molecule and macromolecular XRD to characterize these ever-larger structures. XRD will assist in the generation of probes that can unravel molecular mechanisms underlying post-translational modifications (PTMs) or target newly revealed protein-protein interactions (PPIs) key to PTMs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.