Award details

A- Thermodynamic characterisation of biological macromolecules and their interactions

Reference	JEI09405
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor C Wharton
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor G Boons, Professor J Heath, Professor R Jefferis, Professor Christopher Thomas, Professor Ian Trayer
Institution	University of Birmingham
Department	Sch of Geography, Earth & Env Sciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	51,028
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	21/08/1998
End date	21/02/1999
Duration	6 months

Abstract

This proposal relates to the provision of two highly sensitive micro-calorimeters that will be applied to a wide range of recognition problems in molecular biology and biochemistry. One of the calorimeters is used to measure heat output or uptake in isothermal titrations of ligands with the appropriate target macromolecule. In this way the association constant of the complex and the enthalpy for its formation is determined. Repetition over a range of temperatures provides an estimate of the entropy. The second calorimeter is a differential scanning instrument which measures heat changes during a temperature scan. Thus the enthalpy and transition temperature is provided when a protein or complex unfolds. This may occur as a single co-operative process of domains may melt sequentially. They will be used to characterise proteins and fundamental thermodynamic information, can be operated simultaneously. They will be used to characterise proteins and complexes, including enzyme-substrate and inhibitors, the modulation of antibody behaviour by attached carbohydrate moieties, interaction between DNA and binding proteins, the regulation of muscle contraction and in cytokine-receptor interactions. The information provided will be used to enhance the interpretation of data provided by the wide range of physical techniques used to characterise the macromolecular interactions in the Life Sciences in the University of Birmingham.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biomolecular Sciences (BMS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Joint Research Equipment Initiative 1997 (JE2) [1997]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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