Crystallography and Biophysics
„Services“ - Biotechnology
The Biotechnology team provides a diverse selection of buffers and culture media for protein expression. They also purify standard proteins that are routinely needed by researchers at the institute.
„Services“ - X-ray Crystallography and Biophysics
The facility offers three distinct platforms: medium- to high-throughput crystallography instrumentation, a state-of-the-art biophysics lab, and a protein quality center, where protein samples are routinely assessed for quality by the team.
“Biotechnology”
Nearly all research groups at the Institute employ molecular biology techniques to examine proteins, RNA, and DNA from various organisms. In order to streamline their work, the Biotechnology division within the Crystallography and Biophysics department provides extensive services.
Services related to buffers, culture media and sterilisation
The Biotechnology Unit performs numerous routine tasks for the researchers, such as providing culture media and agar plates, as well as commonly used buffers within the institute. This includes various E.coli or Yeast media, for instance. They also offer sterilisation services for laboratory equipment and used media.
Protein production
Our protein laboratory specialises in providing high-quality protein production services. We utilise automated chromatography systems to produce the required quantities of standard proteins. This includes proteins such as proteases or polymerases that are supplied to meet the needs of our researchers.
“Crystallography and Biophysics”
Seeing is believing. We strive to understand how Nature works. How does a protein accomplish its function? Why does it behave this way? That’s why we employ a combination of Structural Biology, Biophysics and Biochemistry.
X-ray crystallography
The central facility “X-ray Crystallography and Biophysics” provides a platform for medium- to high throughput protein crystallography as well as support in structure solution and analysis. The facility houses two robotic Formulatrix imaging systems at different temperatures for optical analysis of crystallization setups and two robots for pipetting soluble and membrane protein crystallization setups. Support encompasses all up-to-date crystallography methods including Mesophase (LCP) crystallization of membrane proteins, Bicelle crystallization, and crystallization of soluble proteins with our collection of 20 different commercial screens, corresponding to almost 2000 different crystallization conditions. Regular trips to the the recently upgraded European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) ensure that we have access to cutting edge technology for high quality data collection.
Biophysics
The Biophysics Facility is equipped with cutting-edge research infrastructure, providing a comprehensive support system for researchers seeking to address complex biological questions. Users get support from the initial stages of experiment design to the execution of the experiment itself, and ultimately, the analysis and interpretation of results. The Biophysics team is dedicated to teach and to equip researchers with the tools and expertise necessary in order to conduct complex biophysical experiments. This is supported by our regular “Lunchtime Biophysics” meeting, where biophysical experiments and ideas are presented.
The Biophysics instrumentation comprises:
- Mass photometry
- SEC-coupled Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS)
- nanoDSF
- Microscale Thermophoresis (MST)
- Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC)
- Fluorescence Spectroscopy
- Stopped-Flow Techniques
- Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)
- SwitchSense Technology
- Biolayer Interferometry (BLI)
- CD Spectrometry
- Analytical Ultracentrifugation (AUC)
Protein Quality Center
The team at the Institute's Protein Quality Center is dedicated to analyzing protein samples to assess their integrity and quality. The integrity of a protein sample is paramount for the success of subsequent experiments in biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology. The team uses the Biophysics equipment to provide researchers with comprehensive analyses of protein properties. This includes determining the protein's mass, melting temperature, and size, among other critical characteristics.
Dr. Raphael Gasper-Schoenenbruecher
