National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

Workshop Description

This workshop will review the strategies for using hydrodynamic and thermodynamic analytical methods to characterize biological macromolecules and their interactions in solution. We will discuss theoretical and practical aspects of sedimentation equilibrium and sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), dynamic light scattering (DLS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and mass photometry (MP).

This week-long workshop will start on Monday, May 13th, at 8:30am and end on Friday, May 17th, at 5pm. We will provide an introduction to the experimental aspects of AUC, DLS, and ITC, including the operation of the instruments, choice of buffers, and the experimental design appropriate for the system under study. This workshop has a strong focus on AUC, and topics such as the assembly of the AUC cells, the operation of the XLA/I analytical ultracentrifuge, as well as advanced applications of AUC to the study of interacting and non-interacting systems will be discussed in detail. Over the course of the workshop, the theory, data analysis, and experimental strategy of other biophysical methods will also be discussed. These lectures will be accompanied by practical computer exercises with the SEDFIT and SEDPHAT data analysis software.

Participants’ presentations of their systems of interest and an informal discussion of their data will be an integral part of the workshop.

Target Audience

This workshop is aimed at researchers with at least basic experience in the applications of AUC, DLS, ITC, SPR/BLI, MP, and/or fluorescence techniques for the characterization of biomacromolecules.

Workshop Organizing Committee

• Grzegorz Piszczek, Ph.D. 
  Biophysics Core, NHLBI, NIH
   
• Huaying Zhao, Ph.D.
  Laboratory of Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly, NIBIB, NIH
  Contact Email: zhaoh3@mail.nih.gov

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Faculty

• Chad Brautigam, Ph.D.
  Department of Biophysics, UTSW Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
   
• Rodolfo Ghirlando, Ph.D.
  Laboratory of Molecular Biology, NIDDK, NIH
   
• Alexander Grishaev, Ph.D.
  UMD/NIST Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research
   
• Grzegorz Piszczek, Ph.D.
  Biophysics Core, NHLBI, NIH
   
• Peter Schuck, Ph.D.
  Laboratory of Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly, NIBIB, NIH
   
• Huaying Zhao, Ph.D.
  Laboratory of Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly, NIBIB, NIH