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Principal Investigator: BORRIES DEMELER
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $586,559
Funding agency: NIH Office of the Director
Project Summary/Abstract:
We request funding for a Beckman Optima AUC analytical ultracentrifuge equipped with Rayleigh interference
and multi-wavelength UV-visible absorption detection, including required accessories, This instrument will be
integrated into the Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics (CBSD) at the University of Montana (UM)
in Missoula and will support NIH funded research conducted by investigators from UM and affiliated research
institutes, In addition, this instrument will be available for collaborative research projects with NIH and NSF
funded investigators from across the US to support research projects at institutions where access to AUC expertise
or instrumentation is not available, The Optima AUC, manufactured by Beckman-Coulter, Indianapolis,
is the only commercially available analytical ultracentrifuge, and since 2017, replaces the Proteomelab XLI (no
longer manufactured), Compared to the XLI, the Optima AUC features important technical innovations, such as
much faster scanning rates, improved signal-to-noise, and much higher wavelength reproducibility, These innovations
support a new class of multi-wavelength experiments, which permit spectral characterization in addition
to the hydrodynamic separation of analytes, Together, these innovations provide higher capacity, much more
precise measurements of stoichiometry and interaction thermodynamics when compared to the older instrument
The instrument will be used to further develop and test AUC analysis software developed at UM by the
Pl's research group, and to study macromolecular interactions in the solution phase to investigate questions
addressing a wide variety of diseases and translational drug developments, ranging from opioid vaccine development,
AAV gene therapies, lipid nanoparticles, HIV, breast cancer, neuro-degenerative diseases, bacterial
antibiotics, as well as a number of basic research questions including germ cell development, receptor binding,
protein structure and protein stabilization, bacterial DNA transformation, innate immunity, amyloid beta structure,
fibril formation, and chromatin remodeling, The Optima AUC will be the first of its kind in Montana, therefore
adding unique capabilities to biophysical characterization to our institution and the Northwestern Rockies
region, benefiting a large group of intra- and extramural users, This instrument will be managed by the Pl, who
is a world-leading expert in analytical ultracentrifugation and has published over 200 manuscripts dealing with
AUC methods development The Pl is also the author of the UltraScan hydrodynamic modeling framework, the
leading analytical ultracentrifugation software available today, The Pl has successfully managed multiple AUC
facilities since 1996, has developed the worldwide UltraScan Science Gateway and UltraScan LIMS system,
which provides remote HPC access to AUC users, He has contributed significantly to the AUC field over the
past 30+ years by developing innovative modeling algorithms for AUC data, training a large number of new
users worldwide, and by contributing to collaborative research projects from investigators across the US.
Terms: <AIDS Virus><Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus><Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus><Address><Algorithms><Alzheimer beta-Protein><Alzheimer's Amyloid beta-Protein><Alzheimer's amyloid><Amyloid Alzheimer's Dementia Amyloid Protein><Amyloid Beta-Peptide><Amyloid Protein A4><Amyloid beta-Protein><Amyloid β><Amyloid β-Peptide><Amyloid β-Protein><Antibiotic Agents><Antibiotic Drugs><Antibiotics><Aβ><Bacterial DNA><Basic Research><Basic Science><Breast Cancer><Cell Communication and Signaling><Cell Signaling><Computer software><DNA Therapy><Data><Degenerative Neurologic Disorders><Detection><Development><Disease><Disorder><EXTMR><Extramural><Extramural Activities><Funding><Gametes><Gene Transfer Clinical><Genetic Intervention><Germ Cells><Germ-Line Cells><HIV><Human Immunodeficiency Viruses><Innate Immunity><Institution><Intracellular Communication and Signaling><Investigators><LAV-HTLV-III><Lymphadenopathy-Associated Virus><Malignant Breast Neoplasm><Manuscripts><Measurement><Miscellaneous Antibiotic><Modeling><Montana><NIH><National Institutes of Health><Native Immunity><Natural Immunity><Nervous System Degenerative Diseases><Neural Degenerative Diseases><Neural degenerative Disorders><Neurodegenerative Diseases><Neurodegenerative Disorders><Neurologic Degenerative Conditions><Noise><Non-Specific Immunity><Nonspecific Immunity><Opiates><Opioid><Phase><Proteins><Publishing><R-Series Research Projects><R01 Mechanism><R01 Program><Reproducibility><Reproductive Cells><Research><Research Grants><Research Institute><Research Personnel><Research Project Grants><Research Projects><Research Support><Researchers><Scanning><Science><Sex Cell><Signal Transduction><Signal Transduction Systems><Signaling><Software><Structure><System><Testing><Thermodynamic><Thermodynamics><Training><United States National Institutes of Health><Universities><Virus-HIV><a beta peptide><abeta><absorption><amyloid beta><amyloid-b protein><analytical ultracentrifugation><beta amyloid fibril><biological signal transduction><biophysical characteristics><biophysical characterization><biophysical measurement><biophysical parameters><biophysical properties><chromatin remodeling><coastal water model><degenerative diseases of motor and sensory neurons><degenerative neurological diseases><develop a vaccine><develop software><develop vaccines><developing computer software><development of a vaccine><developmental><drug development><experiment><experimental research><experimental study><experiments><gene repair therapy><gene therapy><gene-based therapy><genetic therapy><genomic therapy><hydrodynamic force model><hydrodynamic model><hydrodynamic simulation><improved><initial cell><innovate><innovation><innovative><instrument><instrumentation><lipid based nanoparticle><lipid nanoparticle><malignant breast tumor><manufacture><method development><neurodegenerative illness><nonlinear hydrodynamic transition><oceanographic model><protein structure><protein structures><proteins structure><receptor binding><receptor bound><sexual cell><software development><soluble amyloid precursor protein><stoichiometry><vaccine development>