Structural Studies of Metalloproteins from Bacterial Pathogens

Coupling in crystallo spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction data, the figure shows a line trace of an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy emission spectra revealing presence of iron in the sample (left), a zoom into the di-iron active site electron density (middle), and a ribbon diagram of an X-ray crystal structure (right).

This project will investigate the structure and function relationship in metalloproteins in bacterial pathogens.

Project description

Antibacterial resistance is responsible for nearly 1.3 million deaths globally each year; these numbers are projected to rapidly increase to nearly 10 million annually by 2050. As the growing threat of antibacterial resistance becomes more prevalent across a wide range of bacterial species, we are in a race to develop better understanding of how these bacteria function. The purpose of this project is to investigate the structure and function of bacterial proteins that are potential therapeutic targets for treating antimicrobial resistant pathogens. Students will perform enzyme activity assays, crystallization, and diffraction-based structural studies, enabling a better understanding of the structure and function relationship in these proteins. 

Project outcome

The student will learn how to recombinantly express specific proteins in E. coli, how to purify protein for structural and functional studies, how to design enzyme assay experiments, how to crystallize proteins, and how to use diffraction based methods for structural studies. The student will be expected to participate in group meetings, including journal clubs, and to present their research in at least one group meeting. The student will also be expected to present research results in poster format at a research symposium or at a scientific meeting. 

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment Depends on student, could be over multiple semesters.
Start time Spring (January/February) 
In-person, remote, or hybrid? In-Person Project 
Level of collaboration Small group project (2-3 students)
Benefits

Research experience

Potential Academic Credit (Through BCH498)
Who is eligible All undergraduate students with an enthusiasm for learning

Core partners

  • National Crystallization Center 

Project mentor

Sarah Bowman

Associate Professor

Biochemistry

Phone: (716) 881-7509

Email: sebowman@buffalo.edu

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 
Start the Digital Badge

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

Reading specific articles and lab protocols
Attending orientation (safety)
Attending workshops on crystallization

Keywords

biochemistry, metalloproteins, bacterial pathogens, structural biology