Biophysics Core

COVID-19 UPDATE:

Research Resources Center (RRC) cores are back on campus to provide services and access to shared equipment (when possible), there are new guidelines issued by each core due to COVID19. Please reference each core’s new user guidelines before requesting services, projects, or scheduling equipment. All questions or inquiries must be sent by email to respective core.

Overview of Services

Understanding the function and structure of biomolecules is crucial in all areas of modern health and life sciences. Characterizing the structure and dynamics of these molecules is essential to understanding the basis of various cellular function, and the Biophysics Core at the Center for Structural Biology is to provide unimpeded access to state-of-the-art and well-maintained biophysics equipment.

The Biophysics Core offers three main categories of research and services: characterization of macromolecules using various biophysical instruments (Mass Photometry (MP), Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC), and Circular Dichroism (CD)), large-scale protein production using a multi-column AKTA FPLC, and macromolecular structural biology using X-ray crystallography and Cryo-EM in collaboration.

The Biophysics Core houses a suite of various biophysical instruments and has a fully equipped wet-laboratory for molecular cloning, recombinant protein expression, and multi-step protein purification. Large-scale protein purification service is also offered to users who need purified proteins for SPR, ITC, High-Throughput Screening (HTS), and structural studies.

Hands-on training is available for long term users who want to have full access to the instruments, as well as assisted runs by a staff are offered to investigators who occasionally need to use core instruments.

Leadership

	Hyun Lee, PhD ǀ Director Protein over-expression & purification (25 years, 1998-present) SPR (23 years, 2001-present), ITC (6 years), CD (6 years) Biochemical/biophysical (protease, kinase, TSA, FP, and so on) assays (16 years, 2008-present) X-ray crystallography (~10 years, on and off during 2006-present) Protein NMR (8 years, 1998-1999, 2001-2007) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2570-8120
	Robel Demissie, PhD ǀ Research Specialist Protein expression & purification Mass Photometry (MP) Cellular Thermal Shift Assay & Enzyme Assays and Kinetics Protein-protein interaction techniques (ITC, TSA, FRET, etc) Circular Dichroism (CD), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (EPSR) Fluorescence Spectroscopy & UV/Fluorescence Spectroscopy
	Elizabeth Mulder, PhD \| Postdoctoral Research Associate Protein expression & purification Biochemical & Biophysical Characterization of Proteins HPLC, FPLC, ELISA Mammalian cell culture & Live cell microscopy Fluidic Force Microscopy Flow cytometry & Rheology
	Qinhong (Val) Yu, PhD ǀ Research Specialist Protein expression & purification SPR, BLI, ITC, ELISA DSC, DLS, SEC-MALS X-ray crystallography NMR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3855-5469