CENTER FOR STRUCTURAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

                

                    

CSMB
a resource for studying Biomolecular Complexes

The Center for Structural Molecular Biology at ORNL is dedicated to developing instrumentation and methods for determining the 3-dimensional structures of proteins, nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) and their higher order complexes. The tools of the CSMB will help understand how these macromolecular systems are formed and how they interact with other systems in living cells. The focus of the CSMB is to bridge the information gap between cellular function and the molecular mechanisms that drive it. The suite of tools being developed by the CSMB includes:

Bio-SANS, a Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) facility for biological samples, is currently being constructed at the ORNL High-Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). The CSMB is also closely aligned with researchers at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS).

Isotope Labeling Laboratories for cloning, gene expression, purification and characterization of labeled biological macromolecules are planned; a pilot deuteration facility is currently operational.

Computational Techniques are being developed for the study of macromolecular complexes by SANS. Combined with selective Deuterium-labeling, they will make it possible to develop detailed structural models that will enable the understanding of function.

Another computation technique developed for the study of calculates solution small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering intensity profiles by ORNL-SAS. This makes it possible to develop from a wide variety of structures, including atomicresolution models of proteins and protein complexes, low-resolution models defined in any manner, or combinations of both.

These studies use neutrons to address questions that have not - or cannot - be answered by other techniques.