# Acquisition of a 700 MHz NMR CryoProbe

> **NIH NIH R35** · RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J. · 2021 · $221,154

## Abstract

Abstract
The overarching goal in this proposal is to understand how molecular motions and biophysical properties
modulate protein interactions to promote normal homeostasis or pathological disease states. We investigate
the relationship between protein dynamics and interactions in three contexts: 1) protein–fibrillar collagen
interactions involved in platelet aggregation; 2) α-synuclein (αS), an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP)
whose misfolding and aggregation into amyloid fibrils and deposition into Lewy bodies are associated with
debilitating synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson's Disease; and 3) the spike glycoprotein of the severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), whose interaction with angiotensin converting enzyme 2
(ACE2) via the receptor binding domain (RBD) is the initial point of host cell entry. We have recently
discovered that in each of these cases, conformational dynamics profoundly impact their atomic-to-nano scale
properties and may affect their potential for biomolecular interactions. Despite the biological importance of
these systems and the implications for their interactions on disease, the molecular determinants of these
protein–protein interactions remain unanswered. Thus, we use a multifaceted approach integrating solution
and solid-state NMR with biophysical, biological, and computational methods to address how molecular
motions modulate protein interactions to promote normal homeostasis or pathological disease states. Gaining
a molecular understanding of protein–protein interactions with each of these dynamic systems relies on state-
of-the-art solution NMR instrumentation to be able to accurately measure timescales and fluctuations of these
interaction events and to detect transient, lowly populated complexes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10387885
- **Project number:** 3R35GM136431-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J.
- **Principal Investigator:** JEAN S BAUM
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $221,154
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10387885

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10387885, Acquisition of a 700 MHz NMR CryoProbe (3R35GM136431-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10387885. Licensed CC0.

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