June 23-27, 2008

BioCD-2008: Synchrotron Radiation Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy of Proteins and other Biomolecules

A weeklong workshop focusing on circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy using both conventional and synchrotron sources (SRCD) was presented at the NSLS from June 23-27, 2008.

CD is the difference in the absorption of left- and right-circularly polarized light. In the far and vacuum ultraviolet spectrum, CD is particularly useful for studying the structure of proteins, DNA, RNA and other biopolymers in solution, and this was a major focus of the workshop. Synchrotron radiation sources provide higher intensity and hence superior performance in these spectral regions compared to the xenon-arc sources used in conventional dichrometers. The workshop also included lectures on practical aspects of CD spectroscopy and laboratory exercises on data collection and computational methods for analyzing the CD spectra of proteins.

Participants in the BioCD-2008 workshop

Most of the 12 students who participated were from universities, research laboratories, and technology companies located throughout the United States; two were from Europe. In addition to collecting and analyzing experimental SRCD spectra using beamlines U9B and U11 and a conventional source instrument at the NSLS as part of a laboratory exercise, students were able to collect data on their own samples.

Specific topics covered during the workshop included: principles and practical considerations of UV and CD spectroscopy; instrumentation for UV-visible-near IR CD spectroscopy using both conventional laboratory and SRCD instruments; the CD of soluble and membrane-bound proteins; the analyses of protein secondary structures; CD Bioinformatics and data bases and their impact on functional genomics; software for the analysis of the UV CD spectra of proteins; and applications of time-resolved CD in studies of protein folding. Other lectures described the UV CD of nucleic acids, the closely related experimental methods of magnetic CD and linear dichroism, the operation of synchrotron radiation sources, and applications of infrared synchrotron radiation to biological research. Lectures were presented by B. A. Wallace and L. Whitmore (Birkbeck College, University of London), R. W. Janes (Queen Mary College, University of London), A. Rodger (Warwick University), L. Miller (NSLS, BNL) and J. C. Sutherland (Biology, BNL and Physics, East Carolina University).

This was the third workshop in the BioCD series; the next edition is scheduled for June of 2009. BioCD-2008 was supported by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy, and the Biology and NSLS Departments of Brookhaven National Laboratory with additional support from Birkbeck College and Queen Mary College of the University of London, Warwick University and East Carolina University.

For More Information
John Sutherland
Department of Biology
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Upton, NY
Email: jcs@bnl.gov

B.A. Wallace
Department of Crystallography, Birkbeck College
University of London
Email: b.wallace@mail.cryst.bbk.ac.uk