Biophysics Resource: Introduction

The Biophysics Resource (BR) was established in January 2001. Our mission is to provide CCR investigators with access to both the latest instrumentation and expertise in characterizing the biophysical aspects of systems under structural investigation.

The BR operates as an open, shared-use facility; in general, BR users learn to operate the instruments and conduct their own experiments. Biophysics Resource staff members train all first-time users and are also available to consult with investigators on experimental design/analysis or collaborate with them on more complex studies.

Some of the equipment is too delicate to permit casual use and some studies may require special expertise in experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation. In these cases, users typically collaborate with BR staff on their research projects.

The BR offers cutting-edge biophysics technology in the following areas:

  • Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy to study the optical activity and conformation of biomacromolecules
  • Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to study the structure and environment of biomacromolecules and the mechanism(s) of these interactions
  • Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) for thermodynamic characterization of biomacromolecular interactions
  • Differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) for determining thermal stability and transitions in biomacromolecular systems
  • Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (LC-MS and LC-MS-MS) for macromolecular mass characterization
  • Dynamic light scattering to determine macromolecular particles size and degree of aggregation
  • Microscale thermophoresis (MST) for macromolecular binding studies
  • UV-Vis spectrophotometry with thermal scanning option
  • switchSENSE molecular dynamics technology for binding, kinetic and sizing studies
  • Mass photometry (MP) for mass measurement of single molecules in solution, in their native state and without need for labels

New Users

Visit the User Policy page for information on new user registration/project authorization, fee, access to instrumentation, training and scientific assistance.