Biochemists will take part in the 35th Steenbock Symposium at UW Madison from June 26-28 to talk about the advancements in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which enables scientists to study vital structural data about biological molecules.
The symposium’s theme is to honor the work of biochemist John Markley who has served as the director of the National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison (NMRFAM).
Scientists, geneticists, and biochemists make use of NMR spectroscopy to picture the biological molecules that support the growth of nucleic acids, proteins, and tiny metabolites. The laboratory technique identifies the location of a molecule at the atomic level and also the shape using a large magnet as well as radio waves. This method is popularly used to detect the 3D arrangement of proteins and to observe protein folding reactions. It can also be used to monitor the interaction of other biomolecules and proteins. One of the key disadvantages of NMR is the possibility to only locate atoms that feature a nuclear spin.
In the past, NMR could not be used for detecting common forms of nitrogen and carbon that is freely available in the environment such as nitrogen-14 and carbon-12. Markley found ways to cultivate organisms using NMR-observable isotopes, carbon-13 (13C) and nitrogen-15 (15N) to create biomolecules that could be easily monitored through NMR.
Markley established two NMR facilities, one at Purdue in 1977 and the other at UW-Madison in 1984.The most powerful NMR devices are so huge that researchers have to climb a staircase to access the sample chamber at the top. Yet Markley has received grants to support the NMRFAM facility and its staff of 11 to take part in vital national events to explain protein structures and the human metabolome.
In 1988, Markley also started the Biological Magnetic Resonance Data Bank (BMRB), which acts as the universal repository for biomolecular NMR data. Scientists worldwide can get adequate resources with the help of these facilities. Scientists from both industry and academic backgrounds send samples to the NMRFAM for analysis. Markley takes part in a wide array of research activities with faculty worldwide.
Source: http://www.news.wisc.edu/