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Industrial Liaison Group:
Tel: +44 (0) 1235 778797
E-mail: industry@diamond.ac.uk
Alex's main interest is in X-ray crystallography applications for drug discovery. MX is a valuable tool to determine the structure and function of macromolecules and now widely used by the pharmaceutical industry for the design of new potential candidates. Structural insight gained on a given macromolecular target can lead to the design of new drugs, along with a better comprehension of biological mechanisms.
He also has a keen interest in complementary techniques, such as Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Circular Dichroism (CD), providing additional structural information regarding the macromolecule of interest (for example conformational changes and studies of ligand binding).
Working in such a fast paced, ever-changing industry means that Alex relies on a variety of sources to keep him up to date with the latest developments. Below are some of the most useful websites that he regularly visits and some of his favourites thrown in for good measure.
If you have any websites to recommend, please get in touch at industry@diamond.ac.uk.
This blog was created to allow Fragment-based Drug Design Practitioners to get together and discuss non-confidential issues regarding fragments. It fosters rapid and spirited discussions and facilitates the cross-referencing of topics.
With a ton of useful links and each topic linked to a key word/keywords, it is simple to navigate and find the stuff you need.
The Protein Data Bank (PDB) in Europe is a crystallographic database for the three-dimensional structural data of large biological molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids. The data, typically obtained by X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, or, increasingly, cryo-electron microscopy, and submitted by biologists and biochemists from around the world, are freely accessible here.
With lots of pretty pictures and the ability to perform detailed searches using a variety of properties, from names of molecules to amino acid sequences, there are tens of thousands of structures available at your fingertips.
A Structural Biologist's Guide to High Energy Data Collection Facilities, BioSync provides up-to-date information on over 130 beamlines at worldwide synchrotron radiation facilities where biological macromolecules are studied.
Originally started as a website to provide basic information about the small number of synchrotron beamlines used for macromolecular crystallographers, BioSync has metamorphosed into a structural biologists’ guide to high-energy data collection facilities. Included on the website is detailed information about the more than 130 beamlines worldwide that are used to collect experimental data on biological macromolecules. The beamline scientists provide information on the actual conditions of the beamline for data collection and the services offered to users (e.g., remote data collection and robotics for crystal screening and mounting).
CCP4 exists to produce and support a world-leading, integrated suite of programs that allows researchers to determine macromolecular structures by X-ray crystallography, and other biophysical techniques. It aims to develop and support the development of cutting edge approaches to experimental determination and analysis of protein structure, and integrate these approaches into the suite.
CCP4 is a community based resource that supports the widest possible researcher community and plays a key role in the education and training of scientists in experimental structural biology. It encourages the wide dissemination of new ideas, techniques and practice.
It is a one stop shop for downloading new programmes and documentation, finding out about relevant courses and training and has up to date information about the numerous CCP4 projects. Also worth a mention is the CCP4 bulletin board, a very active mailing list, which provides excellent support and advice on data processing/analysis.
The IUCr is a scientific union adhering to the International Council for Science (ICSU). Its objectives are to promote international cooperation in crystallography and to contribute to all aspects of crystallography, to promote international publication of crystallographic research, to facilitate standardization of methods, units, nomenclatures and symbols, and to form a focus for the relations of crystallography to other sciences.
I use this website mainly to access the journals but they also have a quarterly newsletter which contains lots of news, events and updates from the world of crystallography.
So this is what it says on the website "The British Crystallographic Association, formed in 1982 is the UK national association for this important science. Crystallography is a vital part of much modern research into the structure and properties of materials ranging across the scientific fields of Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Materials science and Engineering. With over 700 members representing the huge academic and industrial effort in crystallography in this country, the BCA has as its prime aims the promotion of crystallography in research and the education of young people and others in the methods, possibilities and achievements of crystallographic science."
As a crystallographer I use this website to keep informed of news and events. I also follow their twitter feed.
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