A new spin to study proteins and DNA
Dr Sarah Atkinson with the new Beckman Coulter Optima AUC
Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute researchers will soon have access to state-of-the-art technology for studying large biological molecules, with the arrival of the institute’s first analytical ultracentrifuge (AUC).
The new Beckman Coulter Optima AUC is the first of the new generation of AUC to be installed in the Southern Hemisphere, giving Monash researchers priority access to this top-of-the-line equipment.
The initiative was co-led by Associate Professor Michelle Dunstone, Dr Sarah Atkinson and Professor James Whisstock, and was funded with the generous support of the BDI, the Faculty of Medicine, an NHMRC Equipment grant, the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Department of Microbiology.
But what does it do?
“This equipment spins proteins at a speed so fast that they move down the tube and they can be visualised as they sediment. This allows us to see how big the proteins are, their shape and how proteins or DNA can interact with each other in the solution," Associate Professor Dunstone said.
"This is great for all researchers studying how proteins function in solution, such as how therapeutic antibodies bind to their target, how proteins bind to DNA, how the immune system recognises pathogens, the list goes on,” she said.
The AUC will be housed within the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Biophysics Suite. Researchers can get more information about the new AUC or book to use the equipment by contacting David Hoke via email (David.Hoke@monash.edu).
Associate Professor Dunstone and Professor James Whisstock are also members of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging.
About the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging
The $39 million ARC-funded Imaging CoE develops and uses innovative imaging technologies to visualise the molecular interactions that underpin the immune system. Featuring an internationally renowned team of lead scientists across five major Australian Universities and academic and commercial partners globally, the Centre uses a truly multi scale and programmatic approach to imaging to deliver maximum impact.The Imaging CoE is headquartered at Monash University with four collaborating organisations – La Trobe University, the University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales and the University of Queensland.