Regensburg 2019 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 11: Emerging Topics in Chemical and Polymer Physics, New Instruments and Methods

CPP 11.4: Talk

Monday, April 1, 2019, 15:45–16:00, H8

Gold-labels Enhance Small-angle X-ray Scattering Measurements — •Jan Lipfert — LMU Munich

SAXS is a powerful tool to probe the structure, interactions and dynamics of biological macromolecules and their complexes in free solution, under virtually arbitrary solution conditions. However, the information content in traditional SAXS measurements is limited, making it impossible to obtain atomic resolution structures from SAXS data alone. To enhance the information content available from standard biological SAXS measurements, we use small (~1.4 nm diameter) gold nanocrystals. The gold nanoparticles can be site-specifically attached to DNA, RNA, and proteins, provide very high scattering contrast in aqueous buffer, and are well suited for ASAXS experiments. We have recently demonstrated two different and complementary schemes to apply gold labels in biological SAXS measurements: As molecular distances rules in ASAXS measurements [1] and as fiducial markers in standard biological SAXS measurements to provide a sequence-to-low resolutions structure map [2]. Here, I will discuss the possibilities provided by these labelling schemes and given an outlook on how they will be able to provide novel insights into the structure and dynamics of polymers and biological macromolecules in solution. [1] T. Zettl et al., Nano Letters (2016) 16:5353-7. [2] T. Zettl et al., Science Advances (2018) 4:eaar4418.