Ever wondered where scientists unravel the mysteries of life’s building blocks? It’s here at the New York Structural Biology Center. Opened in 2002, the New York Structural Biology Center is a hub for cutting-edge research. It is not just one institution. It is a collaboration of nine academic research powerhouses. They include Rockefeller University and others.
The New York Structural Biology Center focuses on structural biology. This field seeks to understand the structure of biological molecules. By understanding their structure, scientists gain insights into their function. Think of it like understanding how the pieces of a machine fit together. This understanding helps us see how the machine works.
The center’s main facility is in Harlem. Inside, advanced tools await researchers. There are nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers. Cryoelectron microscopes are also present. High-throughput protein production equipment stands ready. Home source x-ray generators are available too. A second facility exists at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This houses NYX. NYX is the center’s new beamline. It exploits the brightness of NSLS-2.
The New York Structural Biology Center provides access to these technologies. It also offers expertise. Training in instrumentation is available. Scientists can take accredited classes. The center even offers high-throughput gene-to-structure services. They produce soluble and membrane proteins.
The Simons Electron Microscopy Center or SEMC is part of the New York Structural Biology Center. Research here aims to determine macromolecule structures. This helps scientists understand their function. As of December 31, 2023, the facility had impressive equipment. Twelve transmission electron microscopes were available. A dual-beam focused ion beam scanning electron microscope existed. Ancillary equipment supports cryoEM sample preparation.
In 2023, SEMC served over 750 users. They came from NYSBC’s nine member institutions. Users also came from the national community. This was through NIH-funded centers. SEMC develops open-source technologies. These technologies accelerate cryoEM workflows. This goes from sample preparation to structure determination. SEMC staff collaborates on new machine learning algorithms. They also develop software for automating cryoEM. This contributes to solving structures of vital complexes. Examples include CRISPR-CAS complexes and ion channels. Structures of GPCRs and many drug targets are examined. These targets combat diseases like COVID-19. Over 200 scientific articles acknowledged SEMC support in 2023.
The New York Structural Biology Center also provides access to high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This is for faculty from its nine member institutions. The NMR facility includes nine NMR spectrometers. They generally operate 24 hours a day seven days a week. In 2023, each spectrometer was available on average 340 days. These resources allow researchers to determine protein structures. This can be done in solution and in solid-state at atomic resolution. This data provides insight into protein function. In 2023, group members from 19 affiliated principal investigators used these instruments. Data collected with these instruments produced 21 publications. These appeared in eminent scientific journals.
Since 2003, NYSBC has maintained x-ray crystallography resources at Brookhaven National Laboratory. NYSBC developed and operates beamline 19ID-NYX. This is at the National Synchrotron Light Source II or NSLS-II. NYX provides NYSBC member institutions access to synchrotron radiation. It also gives them instrumentation. This is needed for collecting crystallographic data. The data comes from biological macromolecules. NYX has performed technical and scientific commissioning. User operations started in the spring of 2019. Upgrades to automation and software were made in 2023. These upgrades supported user experiments.
Davis Brody Bond, a Page company has been working on this facility for twenty years. The buildings provide optimized environmental conditions. These conditions are for sensitive instruments. The New York Structural Biology Center stands as a beacon of scientific innovation. Its contributions shape our understanding of the biological world.