The Accelerated Technologies Center for Gene to 3D Structure (ATCG3D) is an NIH Protein Structure Initiative Specialized Center focused on the accelerated development, integration, and deployment of three emerging technologies (tunable laboratory X-ray source, synthetic gene design, and nanovolume microfluidic crystallization) which have high potential to improve the economics of protein structure determination by X-ray crystallographic methods.
ATCG3D Technologies:
The Compact Light Source, which is being developed by Lyncean Technologies, Inc. (Dr. Ronald Ruth PI), is a novel and unique tunable laboratory X-ray source with peak intensity at X-ray wavelengths that span selenium anomalous absorbance. The ability to efficiently solve new protein crystal structures will be greatly enhanced by the availability of a tunable laboratory X-ray source in the same facility where crystal growth experiments are performed. In conjunction with the development of the Compact Light Source, The Scripps Research Institute (Dr. Peter Kuhn) is integrating web-enabled instrument control software (Blu-Ice) for streamlined X-ray diffraction data collection and structure solution.
The Nanovolume Microfluidic Crystallization technologies for plug-based and counterdiffusion methods in confined geometries (plastic labcards) are being developed for in situ X-ray screening and data collection, jointly by the laboratories of Dr. Rustem Ismagilov (University of Chicago); Dr. Peter Kuhn (The Scripps Research Institute); and Dr. Lance Stewart (deCODE biostructures). Crystallization screening and optimization in confined microfluidic geometries is expected to enable the crystallization of difficult to produce proteins due to its minimal sample consumption. In conjunction with the microfluidic crystallization labcard development, novel light microscopic imaging instruments are being developed to efficiently image and detect protein crystals by both deCODE biostructures in collaboration with Emerald BioSystems (DETECT-X), and The Scripps Research Institute in collaboration with Formulatrix (Rockimager).
Software for Computer-Aided Synthetic Gene Design of expression optimized protein constructs for crystallography is being developed by deCODE biostructures (Dr. Lance Stewart, PI). Cloning by gene synthesis improves the success rate for gene isolation and at the same time allows the researcher to engineer the gene sequence of interest to be optimized for protein production in a desired heterologous expression system. The initial phase of this project is completed and transferred to the scientific community for use and testing (www.genecomposer.net), as well as commercialization by Emerald BioSystems.
The ATCG3D is a specialized center of the Protein Structure Initiative Research Network (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/psi) and is funded by the NIH NIGMS and NIH NCRR.