Data Collection to Structure Refinement and Beyond
HIV-1 protease is a critical enzyme for viral maturation and one of the most well-studied proteins in structural biology. While much attention has focused on its active site, there is interest in how the enzyme might interact with small molecules at other regions on its surface. In particular, some of these potential sites, called cryptic…
This talk will focus on early-stage work in the Starbird lab to investigate the structural basis for how receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are activated in the context of cancer or diseased states as opposed to in normal signaling, as well as how we can utilize that information in therapeutic design. Current work is focused on…
Discover how STEM-evolved monoclonal antibodies outpaced SARS-CoV-2 variants, revealed by cryo-EM structural insights.
The Electron Microscope Unit (EMU) at the University of Cape Town was established over sixty years ago as a regional imaging core facility serving the needs of the biological and materials science communities. Researchers in the EMU, with help from international scientists, have established the first single-particle cryo-EM resource in Africa. We support projects ranging…
Malaria, a tropical disease caused by Plasmodium falciparum, is transmitted by the haematophagous mated female Anopheles gambiae. The P. falciparum is reported as the most prevalent malaria parasite responsible for severe morbidity, mortality, and worldwide economic burden. This calls for novel approaches targeting the vector to intervene malaria endemic. Natural and artificial sounds have been…
Malaria remains a major killer disease whose main victims are communities living in the sub-Saharan African region. Its main victims are children (<5 years) and pregnant mothers. One of the key constraints towards malaria eradication and control is drug resistance. Malaria is caused by members of the Plasmodium genus of which P. falciparum causes the…
In response to the growing global demand for comprehensive connectome mapping, the SYNAPSE consortium was inaugurated in Singapore on January 15, 2020. It has since expanded beyond the Asia-Pacific region, with new members from Thailand, Jordan, and Poland sharing access to calibrated synchrotron microtomography beamlines across more than 10 synchrotron facilities. This approach is rooted…
Electron Microscopy under cryogenic temperatures is currently the fastest growing area in structural biology. Advances in instrumentation and software have made it possible for cryoEM to quite sustainably achieve resolutions in the order of 3Å or better for a wide range of biological specimens, without the need of crystallization or large scale protein production. I…
Spectroscopic analysis technique has attained greater traction in Biophysics research and education for quantitative detection of bulk elemental composition of a wide variety of sample like powders, solids, liquids, suspensions and biota. This paper examines the application of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (Agilent technologies 5110 ICP-OES) for quantitative analysis in biophysics research. ICP-OES…