The Physical Biochemistry Instrumentation Facility supports research in structures, stabilities, and interactions of biomolecules. Thorough hands-on training, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and analysis software are available 24 hours a day, and equipment time may be booked around the clock via a web-based reservation system. The PBIF is directed by a Ph.D. scientist who assists researchers in the design, implementation, and analysis of experiments and results.

The PBIF features optical instruments for the study of structure, folding, binding thermodynamics and kinetics, and quantitation experiments: a Perkin Elmer LS50B Luminescence Spectrometer; a Jasco J-715 Circular Dichroism Spectrometer with Peltier sample temperature control; an Amersham Biosciences Typhoon 9210 Variable Mode Imager equipped with the versatile ImageQuant TL analysis package; and a Varian Cary 100 Bio UV / Visible Spectrometer for oligonucleotide melting studies. Other available instrumentation includes: a Microcal Isothermal Titration Calorimeter (VP- ITC); a Beckman Coulter Optima XL-I Analytical Ultracentrifuge with both absorbance and interference capabilities for probing size and associative properties; a Packard 1600TR Scintillation Counter for quantitation of assays and substrates; and a BIA CORE 3000 Surface Plasmon Resonance instrument that is capable of detailed, direct binding measurements and kinetic analysis of nucleotides and proteins. A recently purchased Malvern Zetasizer Nano-S dynamic light scattering instrument for quick molecular size characterizations has also been added to the PBIF capabilities.

Location: SI 033

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