2002 biophysical society discussions

Frontiers in Structural Cell Biology: How Can We Determine the Structures of Large Subcellular Machines at Atomic Resolution?

Organizing Committee 
Axel Brunger, Stanford University 
David DeRosier, Brandeis University 
Stephen Harrison, Harvard University 
Eva Nogales, University of California, Berkeley
The workshop addresses structural studies of large biological complexes using x-ray crystallography, electron cryomicroscopy, and hybrid methods.  We will explore the extension of x-ray crystallography to ever larger structures/complexes and the extension of electron cryomicroscopy of complexes to higher resolution.  By hybrid methods, we mean the use of atomic models of subunits to interpret low resolution maps of a macromolecular complex obtained by electron cryomicroscopy.  We especially want to consider how to model conformational flexibility of component proteins in the process of fitting such maps.  The presentations we have scheduled set the stage for the discussions during which we encourage participants to bring their results and ideas. 

Saturday AM 
9 am to 12 noon 
Session I.  The state of structural biology of large structures. 
Moderator Helen Saibil, Birkbeck College 

    The power of electron cryomicroscopy. 
    Richard Henderson, MRC–Laboratory of Molecular Biology 

    The Ribosome–a molecular machine in motion. 
    Joachim Frank, SUNY, Albany 

    Biochemical basis for x-ray crystallography of the ribosome. 
    Jamie Cate, University of California, Berkeley 
 

Saturday PM 
7:30 pm to 10:30 pm 
Session II. Extending x-ray crystallography to ever larger structures. 
Moderator Keith Hodgson, Stanford University 

    Can we routinely collect useful data from micro-crystals? 
    Andrew Thompson, EMBL, Grenoble 

    Future X-ray sources (tentative). 
    Janos Hajdu, Upsala University 

    The phase problem: does size matter? 
    Randy Reed, University of Cambridge 
 

Sunday AM 
9 am to 12 noon 
Session III. What does the future hold for electron cryomicroscopy? 
Moderator Bob Glaeser, University of California, Berkeley 

    Single particles always fit the mold. 
    Niko Grigorieff, Brandeis University 

    Tubulin and Microtubule Structures - The Best of Electron Crystallography and Single Particle 
    Approaches 
    Ken Downing, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory 

    Electron Tomography: Towards visualizing macromolecular assemblies inside cells. 
    Wolfgang Baumeister,Max-Planck Institute, Martinsried 

    Polymorphism, can we detect it? Can we use it? Can we control it?  Examples from actin and 
    nucleoprotein complexes. 
    Edward Egelman, University of Virginia Health Science Center 
 

Sunday PM 
7:30pm to 10:30pm 
Session IV. Can hybrid methods provide credible atomic models? 
Moderator Eva Nogales, University of California, Berkeley 

    Atomic model of the cell: docking in a tomographic environment. 
    Niels Volkmann, Burnham Institute 

    Reconciling Shape with Structure: Morphometric Strategies for Multi-Resolution Flexing. 
    Willy Wriggers, Scripps Research Institute 

    Combining electron microscopic with x-ray crystallographic structures. 
    Michael Rossman, Purdue University 
 

Monday AM 
9:00 am to 12:00 noon 
Session IV. Computational methods 
Moderator Axel Brunger, Stanford University 

    Modeling of molecular assemblies by satisfaction of constraints. 
    Andrej Sali, Rockefeller University 

    Probing the structural and energetic basis of protein-protein interactions. 
    Barry Honig, Columbia University 

Biophysical Society - 9650 Rockville Pike - Bethesda, Maryland 20814   Phone: 301.634.7114    Fax: 301.634.7133    society@biophysics.org