Workshop 6: Solution Studies of Macromolecules: Global and Local Structure

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Organizer(s): Sayan Gupta (Case Western Reserve University), sayan@bnl.gov

Location: Biology, Bldg. 463

Description: Small angle x-ray solution scattering (SAXS) has, for many years, been a valuable technique for examining macromolecular structure and dynamics. Recently, local structural information in solution for large macromolecules and complexes has been made available by advances in synchrotron X-ray mediated hydroxyl radical footprinting (XF). This technique has been used to probe the structure and dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids in solution at amino-acid and single nucleoside resolution, respectively. Lately, several groups have combined XF results with SAXS to improve 3D models through refinements. This workshop will focus on experimental and data analysis methodologies of XF and SAXS with examples of their application to investigate RNA folding, protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions, as well as approaches to examine the structure of large complexes, membrane proteins and biomolecular interactions inside living cells. The workshop will also provide a venue for XF and SAXS users as well as the structural biology community to share ideas, as well as discuss future directions for their research. This workshop will focus on the synergy between XF and SAXS technologies and contribute to the development of world leading Life Science sector beamlines for Macromolecular Structure and Function at the NSLS II.