Structural Biology

2004-2005

Left to right: Peter Colman (Division Head), Jonathon Baell, Tom Garrett, Jacqui Gulbis, Mark Hinds, Ray Norton, Brian Smith, Ian Street & Keith Watson.

• Overview
• Email the Structural Biology Division

Overview

The Division’s goal is to contribute to the discovery of new medicines through studies of the three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules that are either targets for drugs or potential therapeutics in their own right. To this end, the Division undertakes research in structure analysis (by X-ray crystallography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy), molecular design, medicinal chemistry and high throughput chemical screening.

Research highlights over the past year include determination of the structure of SOCS3 and identification of a candidate antagonist, determination of the first structure of a SPRY domain, a new potassium channel structure, and identification of hits from high throughput screens against a number of targets in tropical diseases. These and other results are described in the following pages.

Our two NMR spectrometers (600 MHz and 500 MHz) were successfully relocated during the year to the new Bio21 Institute of the University of Melbourne. The new 800 MHz machine, acquired with the support of the State Government’s STI program to Bio21, is now installed and operating. Another Bio21 sponsored initiative is the Nanolitre Protein Crystallisation Facility, and the WEHI components of that facility were delivered during the year and are now available to Bio21 partners.