Protein Biophysics and Structural Biology

This core will provide access to advanced equipment for the purification, identification and characterisation of proteins. Specialized technology will enable protein studies on structure and refolding, aggregation and biomolecular and macromolecular interactions.

The Protein Biophysics and Structural Biology Core will be the only high quality comprehensive protein laboratory in Doha, which enables protein purification, multi-functional screening (protein-protein, protein-DNA interactions) and structural biology studies.

The nature and complexity of protein research requires highly sophisticated technologies and advanced instrumentation. The needs of protein studies are very diverse, comprising studies of single proteins, protein complexes and interactions of groups of proteins, which may relate to structure, function or biology. This core is committed to facilitate these needs within QBRI and Qatar. The X-ray crystallography facility will house a mosquito LCP crystallization robot which can carry out both membrane and non-membrane protein crystallizations. X-ray crystallography will also be supported by the latest generation microfocus source with high intensity as well as a robust and sensitive CMOS detector. The facility will also have a cryostream with air compressor. Instrumentation will facilitate rapid screening of macromolecular crystals as well as data collection for structure determination. In addition, several nitrogen dewars will be housed for storage and transport of crystals to synchrotron facilities. All crystallographic software will be maintained by support staff.

Services

This core will provide technology from protein purification, identification and characterization up to structural investigation. In addition, reagents such as antibodies (monoclonal, polyclonal) can be developed ensuing further studies in different directions. Through access to the Advanced Microscopy Core, protein localization and trafficking can be explored.

Protein expression and purification

Bioflow 115 Bioreactor
HPLC
FPLC
standard chromatography columns including a variety of resins

Protein identification and characterization

Multi Angle Light Scattering for protein characterization
Circular Dichroism for evaluation of secondary structure and protein refolding
BiaCore and Isothermal calorimetry for study of biomolecular and macromolecular interactions, and kinetic analysis

Structural biology specialized equipment

Mosquito LCP for crystallization screening
X-ray Diffractometer for structure determination
NanoIR2 for detection/imaging of protein, lipid and other components of proteins and cells

Protein purification systems

FPLC (AKTA xpress)	HPLC (Agilent)

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Structural biology

Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)	Circular Dichroism (CD)	X-ray source and detector (D8 Venture)

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Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC)	Benchtop Fermenter / Bioreactor	BiaCore

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Mosquito LCP (2 deck)

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