Biomolecular Measurement Science

IBBR has a robust set of capabilities in biomolecular measurement sciences – know-how and equipment that enable IBBR researchers to push the frontiers of high-resolution structural biology in therapeutically relevant proteins and protein complexes (e.g. glycol- and transmembrane proteins). This includes the capability to determine high-resolution structures of proteins, nucleic acids and biomolecular complexes (protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid) using macromolecular crystallography and solution-state NMR.

IBBR has access to major infrastructure comprising one of the nation’s largest collections of high-resolution instrumentation for studying macromolecular structure and function, including:

Keck/NIST Laboratory for Structural Biology (Ultra high field NMR (900 MHz))
Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics Structural Biology (Ultra high field NMR (800, 950 MHz))
NIST Center for Neutron Research (Ultra high sensitivity scattering instruments for biological samples)
X-ray diffraction

Projects and Spotlights

Structural Assessment of Protein Biologics Using 2D-NMR

As Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved protein biologics near the end of their patent life, it is expected that biosimilars will come to market; to date, the FDA has approved one biosimilar (...Read More

Mass Spectrometry-based Identification of Lyme Disease-associated Proteins as a Model for the Universal Detection of Bacterial Infections

Lyme disease is an infectious disease that can affect multiple organ systems, including the nervous system, cardiovascular system, joints, and muscles. The prototypical causative agent in North...Read More

Hydration States of Ion Channel Conduction Pores Revealed Using Neutron Diffraction

Ion channels are pore-forming integral membrane proteins that control the diffusion of ions across biological membranes by gating, or transforming between open (conducting) and closed (non-conducting...Read More