Chemistry and Structural Biology

The Chemical Synthesis Group is a component of the Chemical Biology Laboratory. This facility provides synthetic chemistry resources and expertise to the NCI Intramural community. The facility’s capabilities include: Providing expertise, consultation, and experience in areas of chemical synthesis and purification., Providing custom synthesis and support for the development of small molecule tools or the synthesis of known ligands or probes which are not commercially available., Synthesis of materials for pre-clinical investigations., … [learn more]

Bruker AVANCE 400 and 500 MHz NMR instruments. Helium Cryoprobe technology on the 500 MHz machine for added sensitivity, especially for Carbon-13 spectra. Access to a second 500 MHz instrument with Prodigy Liquid Nitrogen-cooled cryoprobe. User Accounts can be created for automated setup and experiment acquisition.  Use of ICONNMR automated software with 24-slot sample changers on each machine. User training available. Some service to those who are unfamiliar with NMR can be performed either as a one-time aid for compound identification or as a collaborative project for more extensive NMR nee… [learn more]

The CCR Molecular Modeling Core, under the direction of Dr. Stewart Durell, was established to provide a convenient way for experimentalists to take advantage of molecular modeling and computational biology. In the framework of consultations, scientists can explore how such tools could benefit their projects. The Core then acts as a clearinghouse to help set up and use appropriate software, and/or form collaborations with other scientists. Upon mutual agreement, Core personnel will enter into a collaboration to do the modeling work themselves. All services of the Core are free … [learn more]

The Crystallization Facility provides an automated environment for setting up crystallization experiments in a high-throughput format, storing the resulting plates under controlled conditions, and monitoring the status of prepared droplets remotely. The Facility is in Building 538, Rooms 215 and 222. The Facility also provides support in interpretation of results as well as collaborative efforts for all stages of determination of macromolecular structures using X-ray crystallography—from crystal growth, data collection, and structure solution to structure interpretation. [learn more]

The NMR Facility for Biological Research operates six NMR spectrometers with proton resonance frequencies from 850 to 500 MHz. Three of the highest field spectrometers (850, 700, 600) are equipped with higher sensitivity cryoprobes optimized for high-resolution multi-dimensional and relaxation NMR experiments applicable to small to large biological systems studied in solution. These high field instruments are dedicated to research projects conducted by laboratories within Center for Structural Biology.  The second 600 MHz spectrometer is set up as reconfigurable development system with multip… [learn more]

The Medicinal Chemistry Accelerator (MCA) is a collaborative CCR resource that supports investigators in developing small molecule inhibitors for anticancer drug candidates. While CCR and NCATS have infrastructure to identify initial “hits” through high-throughput screening, advancing these hits into validated leads for preclinical studies requires specialized medicinal and synthetic chemistry expertise beyond the scope of individual sections. The MCA collaborates with researchers to design, synthesize, and optimize small molecules, improving potency and establishing structure-activity… [learn more]

In order to meet increasing demands from both NIH intramural and extramural communities for access to a small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) resource, the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) under the leadership of Drs. Jeffrey Strathern and Bob Wiltrout established a partnership user program (PUP) with the Argonne National Laboratory Photon Source in October 2008. This PUP agreement secures a certain percentage of the Argonne synchrotron beam time for biomedical research. In 2013, CCR established the CCR SAXS facility with Dr. Yun-Xing Wang as the facility head… [learn more]