PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

MU researchers develop advanced 3-dimensional 'force microscope'

Innovation could lead to faster drug therapies and increased understanding of proteins on the microscopic level

2013-12-18
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Jeff Sossamon
sossamonj@missouri.edu
573-882-3346
University of Missouri-Columbia
MU researchers develop advanced 3-dimensional 'force microscope' Innovation could lead to faster drug therapies and increased understanding of proteins on the microscopic level

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Membrane proteins are the "gatekeepers" that allow information and molecules to pass into and out of a cell. Until recently, the microscopic study of these complex proteins has been restricted due to limitations of "force microscopes" that are available to researchers and the one-dimensional results these microscopes reveal. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have developed a three-dimensional microscope that will yield unparalleled study of membrane proteins and how they interact on the cellular level. These microscopes could help pharmaceutical companies bring drugs to market faster.

"Force microscopes are very different from the microscopes we used in biology class," said Gavin King, assistant professor of physics and astronomy in the College of Arts & Science at MU, and joint assistant professor of biochemistry. "Instead of using optics, force microscopes incorporate a tiny needle that gets dragged across the surface of the slide or specimen, similar to how a blind person reads Braille or comparable to the needle of an old record player. However, the one-dimensional, traditional method of studying membrane proteins through a force microscope—while good—only yields limited results," King said.

Normally, force microscopes measure the compression of the needle against the specimen by bouncing a single laser off the cantilever, or arm, that holds the microscopic needle in place. As the cantilever moves, it deflects light that is sent back to a highly advanced computer. There, the results are interpreted, giving researchers an idea of how the membrane proteins are interacting with the cell.

VIDEO: This video is available for broadcast quality download and re-use. For more information, contact Nathan Hurst: hurstn@missouri.edu.
Click here for more information.

Usually, to determine membrane protein structure in detail, specimens must be crystallized, or frozen; therefore, the specimen cannot be studied as it would behave in the primarily liquid environment found in the body.

King and his fellow researcher, Krishna Sigdel, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Physics, solved the problem by building their own force microscope that is able to study membrane proteins in conditions similar to those found in the body. Using a traditional one-dimensional force microscope as a guide, the team added an additional laser that measures the second and third dimensions of tip movement, giving researchers "real-time" access to the measurement of peaks and valleys in the membrane protein and dynamic changes in those structures.

"By adding a new laser that is focused from below, we essentially gave the force microscope two additional dimensions," King said. "Using this new laser, we collect the back-scattered light from not only the cantilever holding the needle, but also the tip of the needle that gives additional measurements. This added flexibility allows us to collect information faster and allows our microscope to work in near-native conditions in fluid like those found in the cell, yielding more realistic results."

King suggested that an advantage of three-dimensional force microscopy is that it allows for better interpretation of how a protein's dynamic shape also dictates its function. King said that by studying how the shape of proteins change, researchers can determine how drugs bind and interact with cells. Using membrane protein information, pharmaceutical companies can determine which molecules to pursue.



INFORMATION:

King's work, "Three-dimensional atomic force microscopy: interaction force vector by direct observation of tip trajectory," was published in NanoLetters, the journal of the American Chemical Society and was funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

The publication was co-written by King, Sigdel and Justin Grayer, who is currently a graduate student in MU's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

King's joint appointment in the Department of Biochemistry, which is located in the School of Medicine and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, emphasizes the highly collaborative culture in the area of One Health/One Medicine—one of the four key areas of collaborative strength that distinguish MU collectively known as the Mizzou Advantage. The other three areas are Food for the Future, Sustainable Energy, and Media of the Future.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Bonobos stay young longer

2013-12-18
Bonobos stay young longer Contrary to humans and chimpanzees bonobos retain elevated thyroid hormones well into adulthood This news release is available in German. Despite the fact that chimpanzees and bonobos share similar starting conditions ...

Exposing the roots of the lithium battery problem

2013-12-18
Exposing the roots of the lithium battery problem Berkeley Lab researchers find dendrite problem starts below the surface The lithium-ion batteries that power our laptops, smartphones and electric vehicles could have significantly higher energy density ...

NASA satellites get double coverage on newborn Tropical Cyclone Amara

2013-12-18
NASA satellites get double coverage on newborn Tropical Cyclone Amara System 93S strengthened into the third tropical depression of the Southern Indian Ocean cyclone season, which quickly became a tropical storm named Amara. NASA's TRMM and Aqua satellites flew overhead ...

Study finds known lung cancer oncogenes ALK and ROS1 also drive colorectal cancer

2013-12-18
Study finds known lung cancer oncogenes ALK and ROS1 also drive colorectal cancer Genetically targeted drugs in use for lung cancer may have colorectal cancer application, as well A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published online ahead of print in the ...

Pfeiffer fire near Big Sur, Calif.

2013-12-18
Pfeiffer fire near Big Sur, Calif. The MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of smoke and detected the heat from the Pfeiffer Fire near Big Sur, California on December 16 at ...

Significant advance reported with genetically modified poplar trees

2013-12-18
Significant advance reported with genetically modified poplar trees CORVALLIS, Ore. – Forest geneticists at Oregon State University have created genetically modified poplar trees that grow faster, have resistance to insect pests and are able to retain ...

Saving Fiji's coral reefs linked to forest conservation upstream

2013-12-18
Saving Fiji's coral reefs linked to forest conservation upstream The health of coral reefs offshore depend on the protection of forests near the sea, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society that outlines the importance of terrestrial ...

New research on diverticular disease in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology

2013-12-18
New research on diverticular disease in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Diverticulosis, a condition that develops when pouches form in the wall of the colon, is increasing in frequency. It affects the majority of ...

Water in cells behaves in complex and intricate ways

2013-12-18
Water in cells behaves in complex and intricate ways ANN ARBOR—In a sort of biological "spooky action at a distance," water in a cell slows down in the tightest confines between proteins and develops the ability to affect other proteins much farther away, University ...

Silencing synapses

2013-12-18
Silencing synapses Hope for a pharmacological solution to cocaine addiction PITTSBURGH—Imagine kicking a cocaine addiction by simply popping a pill that alters the way your brain processes chemical addiction. New research from the University of Pittsburgh suggests ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Corpse flowers are threatened by spotty recordkeeping

Riding the AI wave toward rapid, precise ocean simulations

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

[Press-News.org] MU researchers develop advanced 3-dimensional 'force microscope'
Innovation could lead to faster drug therapies and increased understanding of proteins on the microscopic level