X-ray Crystallography – X-ray crystallography is not a new technique, but recent advances have resulted in improvements in protein crystallization, data acquisition and data analysis that have kept this approach at the forefront of protein and nucleic acid structure determination. VICB investigators have taken advantage of the latest technology in X-ray crystallography to gain insight into the structure and function of key macromolecules.

Brandt Eichman’s primary interest is in understanding the process of DNA replication. He uses X-ray crystallography to explore the structure of key proteins that are responsible for unwinding DNA and assembling DNA polymerases at the replication fork. Tina Iverson’s focus is on mechanisms of cell signaling. She explores the structures of G-proteins, which transduce the signals of many membrane receptors, and investigates how a key bacterial respiratory protein responds to anoxic conditions. Borden Lacy, Munirathinam Sundaramoorthy, Mike Waterman, and Gerald Stubbs are applying detailed structural studies of pathogen macromolecules to develop new ways to fight infection (see Infectious Diseases and Immunity). Martin Egli’s interests are quite diverse, with goals to determine the structures of proteins involved in processes such as regulation of biological clocks and DNA-protein complexes.

Image Source: Brandt Eichman Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, "Protein Crystal for Crystallography."

 

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