The Macromolecular Structure Function Core Facility is equipped with the expertise, instruments, reagents, and consumables necessary for structural and biophysical characterization of biological macromolecules. The facility houses a Crystal Gryphon and Crystal Phoenix crystallization liquid handling robots, a Scorpion screen maker, two crystal plate incubators, an automated imaging system, and relevant software and scientific support important for structure determination of macromolecules by usingX-ray crystallography. Users also have access to VP-ITC, MALS-FPLC and a CD spectrophotometer.
Crystallization and Liquid Handling
Crystal Gryphon and Crystal Phoenix :
The Crystal Phoenix and Crystal Gryphon are unique crystallization robots ideal for sitting,hanging and microbatch methods of macromolecular crystallization. They are fast, accurate, easy to use, and require little reagents. For more details and specification please click here.
SCORPION SCREEN MAKER :
The Scorpion Screen Maker is a high speed single channel pipettor. This extremely versatile workstation can be used to perform anything that you can do with a hand-held pipettor, with the speed, reliability and precision of an automated dispenser. It can be used for filling 96 deep well blocks with commercial screen and also exploring unique condition. For more information please click here.
Biophysical Characterization
MIcro-Cal VP-ITC :
The MicroCal VP-ITC is a powerful and sensitive, easy-to-use isothermal titration calorimeter that offers the ability to investigate any biomolecular interactions. This fast, convenient, label free and in-solution technique delivers the information needed to characterize the molecular interactions of proteins, antibodies, nucleic acids and other biomolecules. For more information please click here.
Octet Red96e :
We recently added Octet Red96e to list of instruments hosted by facility. Using Bio-Layer Interferometry (BLI) to measure binding interactions of small molecules, proteins, and antibodies, determine specificity, calculate titer, characterize affinity, and more. Assays can be performed over a wider temperature range of 15-40°C on the Octet RED96e system, allowing for kinetics measurement of unstable proteins at lower temperatures, or biologically relevant molecules at physiological temperatures. The Octet RED96e system’s eight channels can be used independently to measure samples for screening purposes or in tandem, pairing the sample read with a dedicated reference for high-quality kinetic characterization.
Jasco J-1500 CD Spectromete :
The Facility also hosts a new Jasco J-1500 for the most demanding CD applications. One spectrometer can measure CD, LD, and Absorbance as a standard. Optional modes include Fluorescence, Fluorescence Detected CD, Fluorescence Detected LD, Fluorescence Polarization/Anisotropy, Optical Rotatory Dispersion, Magnetic CD, Stopped flow CD/Abs/Fluorescence and more. For more information about instrument and uses please click here.
