Instruct-ERIC Newsletter
Summer 2021

Throughout 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to be the primary focus for structural biology research across Europe and around the world. The role that research infrastructures such as Instruct-ERIC have played is invaluable; providing remote access to structural biology services and facilities, as well as piloting open science and accessible data projects such as EOSC-Life, helping researchers to access crucial data to expand on their studies of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Data Resources and Open Science -
Unlocking Data Access in a Locked Down World

In 2020, AI AlphaFold system from DeepMind was recognised as the best method for predicting 3D protein structures, significantly outperforming its contemporaries. DeepMind has now teamed up with EMBL, an Instruct-ERIC member to launch the AlphaFold Database, meaning more than 350,000 structure predictions will be made freely available to the structural biology community, with potentially millions more to come.

Instruct Data Management and Computational Committee approved its first document on the Instruct Data Strategy. After a thorough process involving an analysis of existing data practices at Instruct Centers (coordinated by Instruct-CZ, Novacek) and a dedicated Working Group to formulate alternatives (coordinated by EMBL, Marquez), DMCC has submitted its recommendations for the Instruct Data Strategy for the coming years.

Instruct’s involvement with the European Open Science Cloud continues to grow. Within the project EOSC-Life, Instruct partners are pioneering FAIR and open science through 7 pilot projects which are developing tools and workflows for: automatic deposition of Cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography data direct from Instruct facilities, rapid access to ligand screening data with Fragalysis, and bringing IceBear MX data management software and PDB-REDO structure refinement software to the cloud. Elsewhere, Instruct-ERIC has joined the newly founded EOSC Association as an observer, solidifying our key and influential role in the future of the EOSC.

Instruct-ERIC Biennial 2022 -
Utrecht, The Netherlands

The Instruct Biennial Structural Biology Conference (IBSBC) showcases the latest in integrative structural biology from leading scientists across the world.

The 5th Instruct Biennial Structural Biology Conference will be held at Utrecht in the Netherlands, from 18 - 20 May 2022. The theme of the 2022 conference is:

Changes in Structural Biology: Challenges in Studying Dynamics

Instruct-ERIC Science Highlights

Diamond Light Source has continued to further global understanding of SARS-CoV-2, publishing three papers; investigating the structure and anatomy of the ACE2 receptor domain, uncovering the reduced neutralisation of the B.1.1.7 variant by vaccinated and convalescent sera, and evidence of escape of the B.1.351 variant from vaccinated and natural sera.

Instruct-NL Centre NeCEN collaborated with Jansen Vaccines to stabilise the SARS-CoV-2 S protein, which is central to the fusion and interaction with host cells. The study involved characterising a new S variant by cryo-EM, and plays a significant role in the development of future vaccines.

Project Updates

RI-VIS has coordinated two international research infrastructure symposia so far in 2021. These virtual events, South Africa – Europe in February and Latin America – Europe in June, brought together delegates from across multiple regions to discuss the role of Research Infrastructures like Instruct-ERIC, and how they can collaborate across regions. The events received more than 1,000 registrations between them, and the third and final symposium will take place 5-7 October with Australia.

EU-LAC ResInfra also played a key role in the Latin America – Europe Symposium on Research Infrastructures, helping to bring together many of the attendees and speakers required to make it a huge success. In addition, the project has produced a landscape analysis of Latin American structural biology infrastructure, and helped Instruct to sign a further two MOUs with Latin American institutions, taking the total number of MOUs with Latin American institutions to 10.

The TRANSVAC2 TNA call is open, providing a wide range of services designed to help researchers across Europe in vaccine research and development. The Horizon 2020 project supports innovation for both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine development. Instruct-ERIC is offering its services as part of the call, providing access to researchers along the structural biology pathway, TNA 6.

Instruct-ERIC and iNEXT-Discovery opened of their second joint call, combining some of their unique services in a single proposal! This new call integrates protein production services from Instruct-ERIC facilities and protein characterisation or quantification of interactions by the biophysics facilities of iNEXT-Discovery. Access costs will be covered by Instruct-ERIC and iNEXT-Discovery, deadline of applications is 10 September 2021.

Instruct-ERIC Centres

Instruct-ES

The 3DBionotes web platform is a web-based resource to access the structure, related biochemical and biomedical annotations and new variants of all proteins associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The platform has been created and hosted by the Instruct Image Processing Centre, in the Biocomputing Unit of the National Centre of Biotechnology in Spain (CNB-CSIC), in close collaboration with ELIXIR-ES.

Instruct-FR1

A new Glacios cryo-electron microscope, equipped with a K2 and Ceta-D camera, is now open for access at the CBI/IGBMC, Strasbourg, France. It complements the Titan Krios, equipped with a K3 camera and BioQuantum energy filter, and provides high resolution imaging in single particle analysis, cryo-electron tomography and electron diffraction.

Instruct-IT

A novel cryoprobe optimised for direct detection of heteronuclear spins has been installed at CERM on the NMR spectrometer operating at 1.2 GHz (1H frequency) on July 19th 2021. Optimised for heteronuclear sensitivity (13C and 15N), this 5mm cryoprobe (CP-TXO) also enables challenging applications exploiting 1H direct detection, and opens novel opportunities for NMR research!

Instruct-CZ

A new scanning transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) has been recently installed at Cryo-electron microscopy core facility CEITEC MU. The purchase was carried out within infrastructural upgrade and development financed by UP CIISB project. The new ThermoScientific^TM Talos^TM F200C microscope will be used for both transmission electron microscopy imaging and scanning transmission electron microscopy applications.

Instruct-UK

Oxford Particle Imaging Centre (OPIC) has now installed a new Aquilos^TM FIB-SEM Machine, the third ThermoFisher microscope at the site. The existing microscopes at OPIC are TEM, so this new SEM machine adds a new service to the offering. It will be housed in OPIC’s category-3 (CL3) level containment suite, operating with CL3 viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and HIV.

Instruct-ERIC NewsletterSummer 2021

Data Resources and Open Science -Unlocking Data Access in a Locked Down World

Instruct-ERIC Biennial 2022 -Utrecht, The Netherlands