# High quality and high throughput Small‐Angle X‐ray Scattering

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIF-LAWRENC BERKELEY LAB · 2024 · $161,251

## Abstract

Project Summary TOC2: High quality and high throughput Small Angle X-ray Scattering
A sequence scale structural perspective coupled to an understanding of how these structures change during
function is fundamental for mechanistic insights into bio-molecules and can be obtained by combining Small
Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) with high-resolution snapshots of structure. This strategy has been recently been
greatly enabled with the advent of accurate structure prediction from sequence. Furthermore, efficiently
identifying the conditions and constructs by SAXS that promote the greatest structural homogeneity in
conformation and assembly is hugely advantageous to capture a high-resolution snapshot whether from electron
microscopy (EM), macromolecular X-ray crystallography (MX) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The TOC2
funded SIBYLS group has been instrumental in developing a productive SAXS community and advancing
powerful SAXS tools for structural biology.
By applying and improving a pipeline that promotes planning, scheduling, executing, analyzing and distributing
results for for high-throughput (HT-SAXS) and size exclusion coupled (SEC-SAXS) SAXS, SIBYLS is increasing
SAXS utilization by biomedical investigators many-fold. TOC2 at the SIBYLS beamline has explored a unique
platform for collecting HT-SAXS data that has had an important impact on protein engineering. The system was
designed with a large capacity to increase throughput. Over the course of this renewal we will take advantage of
this capacity. TOC2 has also implemented an SEC-SAXS program modelled after the mail-in/hand-in HT-SAXS
program. SEC-SAXS is best deployed at synchrotrons as the collection speed matches sample elution speed.
SEC-SAXS has had a large impact in the characterization of transient complexes. The increased efficiency and
largely remote data collection is particularly important during the pandemic and in the build up to synchrotron
shutdowns.
Over the next five years through ALS-ENABLE, TOC2 will provide efficient access to SAXS analyses for
hundreds of biomedical investigators. The advanced technologies TOC2 employs will generate abundant data
that will require analysis by a combination of automated scripts, web applications developed in TOC2 and those
developed by peers. We will make use of shared resources and an economy of scale through ALS-ENABLE to
support programming of advanced web tools delivering a pipeline that relies heavily on a robust computational
infrastructure to organize, process, and store data. By following through on TOC2 aims ALS-ENABLE will
increase the value of SAXS experiments and increase accessibility – providing quality in quantity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10927289
- **Project number:** 5P30GM124169-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIF-LAWRENC BERKELEY LAB
- **Principal Investigator:** Gregory L Hura
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $161,251
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10927289

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10927289, High quality and high throughput Small‐Angle X‐ray Scattering (5P30GM124169-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10927289. Licensed CC0.

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