# MEDIC - MicroED Imaging Center - Driving Biomedical Projects (DBPs)

> **NIH NIH P41** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2021 · $109,278

## Abstract

Driving Biomedical Projects (DBPs)
Summary
We selected the Driving Biomedical Projects (DBPs) for this proposal to encompass the forefront in biomedical
research and cover the US from coast to coast. Some of the most fundamental questions in biochemistry are
being addressed using microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED): How do ligands regulate the structure and
function of G-protein coupled receptors? (Lefkowitz, Stevens); What are the conformational dynamics that are
involved in substrate recognition and transport in the largest family of membrane transporters? (Abramson,
Zheng); Structural biology of large porous protein complexes that are involved in neurotransmission and fusion
(Hurley); The protonation and charged state in membrane proteins and how those affect protein function (Rees,
Yeager); How proteins are recognized by antibodies and how proteins can regulate gene expression (Bjorkman,
Feigon); and the utility of MicroED in understanding and discovery of natural products (van der Donk). We chose
to focus our efforts on the study of natural products, protein complexes and of membrane proteins because these
are extremely challenging and yet very important targets for drug discovery and medicine. The interactions with
the DBPs will be supervised by Dr. Gonen, who has more than 20 years' experience working with membrane
proteins of different kinds, including, channels, transporters and receptors and has determined several key
membrane protein structures by cryoEM and X-ray crystallography. Moreover, he holds a degree in Chemistry
which allows him to effectively communicate with chemists and biologists alike. Many of the DBP targets are
hard to express, purify and crystallize. By applying MicroED we help to alleviate these difficulties; when a
membrane protein of interest if expressed in low amounts, the resulting material may still be sufficient for
structure determination by MicroED. Finally, MicroED can deliver atomic resolution structures from femtogram
amounts of small molecules and natural products without additional purification and crystallization . All DBPs
benefit from the Technology and Research Development projects of this application and are good testbeds for
them. They are also excellent vehicles for dissemination of MicroED technology.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10155531
- **Project number:** 5P41GM136508-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Tamir Gonen
- **Activity code:** P41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $109,278
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10155531

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10155531, MEDIC - MicroED Imaging Center - Driving Biomedical Projects (DBPs) (5P41GM136508-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10155531. Licensed CC0.

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