NIGMS PSI:Biology Initiative ‐ Enabling High‐Throughput Structural Biology and Structural Genomics

Abstract

The new Protein Structure Initiative (PSI:Biology) to be funded by NIGMS beginning July, 2010 will apply high‐throughput structural methods to important biological problems. This will be accomplished by establishing partnerships between centers for structure determination and biologists with interests in particular groups of proteins. The PSI:Biology network centers will include: 1) Centers for High‐Throughput Structure Determination, 2) Centers for Membrane Protein Structure Determination, 3) the PSI:Material Repository, and 4) the PSI:Biology Knowledgebase. Consortia for High‐Throughput‐Enabled Structural Biology Partnership awards will define targets for structure determination, support functional studies in the partners’ laboratories, and support part of the cost for structure determinations by the centers. Researchers may also suggest specific proteins for structure determination through the PSI Community Nomination site. In addition to protein structures and models, the network will generate and make available reagents and plasmids for expressed proteins to support functional studies by the research community at large. Capabilities of the centers, examples of current and potential future partnerships, and opportunities to apply for PSI:Biology grant support will be presented. For details see: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Initiatives/PSI/psi_biology/.