Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Saskatchewan has a core of four faculty specializing in biological and medicinal chemistry, all of whom study the structure, function, labeling, and applications of proteins such as enzymes (proteins that catalyze chemical reactions) and antibodies (proteins used by the immune system to recognize foreign cells like viruses and bacteria). All four research groups rely on producing large, consistent batches of highly purified protein on an ongoing basis. Recent instrument failure has severely limited the ability of these groups to generate and purify the proteins they need to carry out their research, because no such instrumentation can be safely accessed by these researchers. This application seeks funding to enable the production of purified protein essential to their research. Needed are: repair of an autoclave necessary for sterilizing media and equipment used for the growth of bacterial cultures used in protein production; a 10-L fermenter for optimized growth of large and consistent culture batches; and a programmable, multi-column protein purification instrument to isolate highly pure protein on scale in a multi-user setting. Dr. David Palmer is an enzymologist who has designed novel and potent enzyme inhibitors, discovered antibiotic biosynthetic pathways, and developed new biocatalysis reactions and applications. The Palmer lab will rely on the requested equipment to produce and study catalysts with applications in the pharmaceutical industry, using benign reaction conditions to carry out reactions. Dr. Christopher Phenix develops novel compounds called imaging probes for labeling enzymes that are diagnostic and therapeutic targets. These probes are either fluorescent to allow visualization in vitro, or radio-labeled for use in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The Phenix lab will use this equipment to purify protein targets important for understanding the mechanisms of Gaucher's Disease and Parkinson's disease. Dr. Eric Price combines expertise in inorganic chemistry, radiochemistry, peptide synthesis and antibodies, designing systems for conjugating radiotracers to antibodies for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, with applications in infectious diseases and other biological imaging. The Price lab will use the requested instruments to produce high-purity modified antibodies essential for this research. Dr. David Sanders is a structural biologist who combines protein crystallography with enzymology and computational approaches to understand with atomic resolution how proteins function. The Sanders lab relies on producing large, consistent batches of very pure protein to obtain high-quality crystals of proteins and protein complexes. High-resolution structures of proteins are generated using the Canadian Light Source. These four labs collaborate with each other and others, training Canada's next generation of protein scientists making discoveries that benefit Canadians.