InstructFeaturing expert speakers from Instruct Centres across Europe, Instruct-ERIC Webinar Series: Structure Meets Functionhighlights some of the latest developments in structural biology, demonstrating how integrative methods are enabling scientists to decipher the mechanisms that underpin health and disease.
Watch the previous webinars in the series here.
The ninth webinar in the series will be hosted by Instruct Centre Finland, on 13 April 2021, 11:00 - 12:30 CEST.
Agenda
Webinar moderator: Sarah Butcher, University of Helsinki
Talk 1: Biocomplex: Sample preparation strategies for biomolecular complexes
Speaker: Minna Poranen
Affiliation: University of Helsinki
Abstract: Many biological processes are carried out by complex macromolecular assemblies. University of Helsinki Biocomplex facility enables purification of large macromolecular complexes as an important first step in the structure analysis pipeline of fragile biological assemblies. Biocomplex provides and develops services that are based on preparative ultracentrifugation, monolithic chromatography and asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4). AF4 is a new service in the Instruct-ERIC catalogue providing new possibilities for rapid and gentle size-based separation of sample components in large dynamic size range (from 10 kDa to 1 µm particle size). Combination of the different separation technologies has enabled production of high-quality samples for advanced structural analyses and biochemical characterization. Examples of studies on viruses and their active subassemblies will be presented.
Talk 2: Switching on ADP-ribosylation at the DNA damage site
Speaker: Lari Lehtiö
Affiliation: University of Oulu
Abstract: Human PARP enzymes monitor our DNA and when detecting a damage site, they start to produce poly-ADP-ribose, which is attached to themselves and other proteins. The poly-ADP-ribose then acts as a signal to recruit DNA repair factors to the site of the damage. We have studied the binding of human PARP2 to the DNA damage and solved a structure of an activated PARP2 that can now binding the substrate NAD+ enabling poly-ADP-ribose production. The conformational changes observed include large reorganization of helical fragments of a regulatory domain and explain how the multi-domain enzyme is relieved from an autoinhibited state.
Talk 3: High-resolution native mass spectrometry as a versatile tool in structural biology
Speaker: Juha Rouvinen
Affiliation: University of Eastern Finland
Abstract: The services available at University of Eastern Finland Infrastructure for Native Mass Spectrometry (MS) are described. The emphasis of this presentation is in practical examples of utilization of native MS as a tool in structural biology studies. In addition, the introduction to Single-cell proteomics unit at University of Helsinki is provided.
