Four Biosciences employees were selected by Berkeley Lab leadership and the Women Scientists and Engineers Council (WSEC) for recognition as part of the 2020 Women @ the Lab awards. The biennial program, now in its fourth year, spotlights women at the Lab for meritorious professional contributions, leadership, mentorship, and outreach.
New Refinement Technique Promises Greater Protein Structure Accuracy
X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) came into use in 2010 for protein crystallography, allowing scientists to study fully hydrated specimens at room temperature without radiation damage. Researchers have developed many new experimental and computational techniques to optimize the technology and draw the most accurate picture of proteins from crystals. Now scientists in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division have developed a new program, diffBragg, which can process every pixel collected from an XFEL for a protein structure independently. In a recent IUCrJ paper, the team led by MBIB Senior Scientist Nicholas Sauter proposed a new processing framework for more accurate determination of protein structures.
How to Reduce Greenhouse Gas? Tips from a Methane-Eating Microbe
Scientists have determined the structure of a unique enzyme, produced by a species of methane-eating bacteria, that converts the greenhouse gas into methanol – a highly versatile liquid fuel and industrial product ingredient.
Their new study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is the first to report the structure of the enzyme, called soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO), at room temperature in both its reduced and oxidized forms. This detailed structural information will help researchers design efficient catalysts for industrial methane to methanol conversion processes.
MBIB Management Changes
Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division Director Paul Adams has announced a number of changes in the Division leadership, effective July 21.
Showtime for Photosynthesis
An international team led by researchers in Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division has revealed a key step in the molecular mechanism behind the water splitting reaction of photosynthesis. The finding could help inform the design of renewable energy technology.
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