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Main Page

Introduction

The Berkeley Center for Structural Biology (BCSB) is a national user facility operating under the aegis of LBNL’s Physical Biosciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. An umbrella organization, the BCSB operates five protein crystallography beamlines at the Advanced Light Source (ALS).

Announcements

• NOTE: Deadline for submitting proposals for structural biology beamlines for the July-August operating cycle is May 15, 2012.

• The next ALS 2-Bunch will be from August 16, 2012 to August 26, 2012.

Recent Scientific Highlights

Crystal structure of sodium galactose transpoter. Using data collected at beamline 5.0.2, researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have solved the structure of a class of proteins known as sodium glucose co-transporters (SGLTs), which pump glucose into cells. These transport proteins are used in the treatment of chronic diarrhea, saving the lives of millions of children each year, Oral Rehydration Therapy.

Auxin regulatory mechanism revealed. Researchers at the University of Washington shed light on the mechanism of growth regulation by plant hormone Auxin. Using data obtained from beamlines 5.0.2, 8.2.1 and 8.2.2, they found that auxin plays a key role in marking certain protein substrates for destruction.

Architecture of a Nuclear Pore. Hoelz and coworkers recently solved the crystal structure of a segment of a nuclear pore complex at beamlines 8.2.1 and 8.2.2; the structure led to a model for how all the pore proteins fit together. Although the segment is part of a heptamer, it crystallizes as a hetero-octamer in two independent crystal forms as well as in solution. The model proposes that the hetero-octamer forms a curved vertical rod that connects four horizontally stacked rings, forming a cylindrical pore.

Click here for more beamline highlights.

Comprehensive Tests

In order to ensure that the beamlines are in the best shape they can be, a comprehensive set of tests is conducted. The results of these tests (that involve collecting data) are summarized here:

[1].

You will find up to date site files as well.

Beamline Updates

The successful introduction of top-off operation (constant 500mA ring current) by the ALS has resulted in a doubling in total X-ray flux delivered to users when measured across a full shift. All BCSB beamline optics have now been optimized to deliver optimal performance under 500mA operation. 5.0.1 and 5.0.3 have also had their wavelength adjusted to 12.7keV (above the Se-K edge) enabling users to use Se-SAD phasing techniques to solve their structures.

Sector 8

The BCSB is midway through a two-year upgrade to Beamlines 8.2.1 and 8.2.2, the two superbend beamlines, of the five macromolecular crystallography beamlines, operated by the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology (BCSB). The improvements are designed to allow screening of, and data collection from, small crystals and will help resolve structures of large complexes. Rigaku ACTOR robots have been installed on both beamlines 8.2.1 and 8.2.2, and are now available for use both locally and remotely. In addition, a microdiffractometer system (MD2) has been installed on 8.2.1. The M2 mirror replacement on 8.2.1 was completed in June, and the M1 mirrors on both beamlines are scheduled to be complete by the end of 2009.

Link to Paul Adams Research Group