Instruct-CZ Annual Report Highlights and New Technologies
Instruct Centre CZ is coordinated within the Czech Infrastructure for Integrative Structural Biology (CIISB) formed by two Centers of Excellence for Structural Biology at CEITEC – Central European Institute of Technology, Brno and BIOCEV - Biotechnology and Biomedicine Centre of the Academy of Sciences and Charles University, Vestec, Prague.
Find out more about the facilities in Instruct-CZ, and apply to access their technologies here.
Technological Advancements in 2022
CEITEC
Cryo-electron Microscopy and Tomography
A high-resolution plasma-FIB/SEM dual beam microscope with an integrated fluorescence microscope (Thermo Scientific Helios Hydra V) was installed in the facility. The instrument will expand services provided by the facility for 3D volume image of biological samples at room-temperature and under cryo-conditions. The microscope will become a core component of an established Correlative light-electron microscopy service which will also be included to services provided by Instruct.
Proteomics
New mass spectrometer timsTOF Pro 2 and liquid chromatograph Evosep One were acquired. Both instruments extend our capacities in whole proteome analyses and high-throughput liquid chromatography.
Biomolecular Interactions and Crystallography
Added a new analytical centrifuge OptimaAUC, biosensor for surface plasmon resonance measurement Biacore S200, and isothermal titration calorimeter PEAQ-ITC. These acquisitions allow a broad range of analyses of biomolecules and their complexes in close-to-native state and/or in high-throughput manner.
BIOCEV
Crystallisation of Proteins and Nucleic Acids
The screening equipment was upgraded by installing the SONICC instrument (Formulatrix). SONICC is using Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) and Ultraviolet Two-Photon Excited Fluorescence (UV-TPEF) in a completely automated imager to quickly image high throughput crystallisation plates and positively identify protein crystals. SONICC is connected to the current RI1000 crystallisation hotel and enables detection of even extremely thin crystals, microcrystals <1 μm, and crystals obscured in birefringent LCP.
Structural Mass Spectrometry
BIOCEV purchased new mass spectrometer timsTOF SCP with liquid chromatography system Evosep One. The extremely highly sensitive mass spectrometer allows to identify and quantify proteins at single cell level. The liquid chromatography system boosts the capacity of measured samples.
Biophysical Techniques
BIOCEV acquired a Refeyn Two mass photometer, which allows to measure the mass, oligomerisation and interaction of biomolecules in solution based on light scattering. A new sensitive, low volume isothermal titration calorimeter MicroCal PEAQ-ITCwas installed for the label-free, in solution study of biomolecular interactions.
Structural Biology Activities
- Annually, the conference Discussions in Structural Molecular Biology and the User Meeting of CIISB is organised by the Czech Society for Structural Biology and by CIISB in Nove Hrady, South Bohemia. In 2022, this conference was held on 24-26 March 2022 and attracted 140 attendees, all interested in new advances in structural biology.
- 18th Instruct-ERIC Council Meeting was hosted by CEITEC in Brno, Czech Republic on 17-18 October 2022.
- The Czech Society for Structural Biology – representing the National User Group of Instruct-ERIC – organised monthly webinars called Structural Biology Club, each presenting two talks. These webinars attracted on average more than 50 participants.
Training
- CF Cryo-EM hosted dr. Gints Kalnins (Latvian biomedical research and study center) for an Instruct-internship, September – November 2022
- Several workshops were organized as a part of training under the Instruct-CZ centre, including the international workshop on Single Cell Proteomics at IBT, Biocev, on 21st November, with invited speakers from the field.
