Molecular Movies

A new frontier in structural biology is integrating molecular motion into our concept of protein function. Mike Murphy, a chemistry graduate student in the Theis lab, demonstrates molecular motion of UvrB protein to on-looking undergraduate and graduate students. Prof. Eric Martz (Emeritus Microbiology), who dressed up for the occasion in an orange beard, also viewed the movie.


Structural Design Annie Marcelino a chemistry graduate student considers the implication of designed allosteric sites as Ruth Boadu, a undergraduate biochemistry major in the Hardy Lab, describes her work on capsases.		X-ray Data Collection Professor Scott Garman describes to Associate Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Gordon Wise and Professor Chris Woodcock (Biology) how x-rays that have been diffracted by a protein crystal of α-galactosidase are detected on an R-AXIS IV image plate.

Potential Collaborations

One of the main foci of the Open Lab was to increase awareness of the structural biological opportunities on our campus within the scientific community at U. Mass Amherst and surrounding areas. Professor Jeanne Hardy discusses the main routes to crystallographic collaboration, including participation in the annual x-ray diffraction course offered by the members of the Macromolecular X-ray Diffraction Facility.

Visualizing X-ray Structures

Shiv Kumar, a chemistry graduate student, explains how to use molecular graphics softward PyMol to visualize and analyze x-ray crystal structures solved in the Macromolecular X-ray Diffraction Facility.

Multi-Component Complexes

Peng Gong, a chemistry graduate student working in collaboration with the Theis Lab, describes to Professor Alejandro Heuck (Biochemistry) his work to solve crystal structures of multi-component complexes containing E. coli RNA polymerase.

Crystal Growth

Professor Karsten Theis and Dema Luyindula, an undergraduate biology major working in the Theis lab, describe methods for growing crystals of proteins and nucleic acids to Professor Micheal Knapp (Chemistry).

Symmetry Games

Chris Ito, an undergraduate biology major in the Theis lab, showed participants how protein molecules pack into the repeating pattern that generates crystals using colorful protein-mimetics such as dophins, snowflakes and elephants.