# Collaboration & Service (243-302)

> **NIH NIH P41** · NEW YORK STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY CENTER · 2020 · $80,798

## Abstract

Lipid-bilayers membranes produce water-impermeable barriers that define the boundaries of biological cells
and of specialized compartments within these cells. Protein molecules embedded into or intimately associated
with the lipid bilayer control communication and transport across biological membranes. Both external surfaces
of a lipid bilayer are hydrophilic, but the bilayer interior is hydrophobic as it is composed from aliphatic chains.
Accordingly, protein molecules embedded into a membrane have hydrophobic surfaces in association with the
lipids and, typically, hydrophilic portions that protrude from the membrane surface. Such protein molecules are
not directly soluble in aqueous media and hence require detergents to cover the hydrophobic surfaces during
extraction, solubilization and purification. It is primarily for this reason that integral membrane proteins present
formidable, but not insurmountable obstacles to structural and other analyses. Early stages of any project
requiring purified protein can be greatly assisted with the use of high-throughput approaches. The initial
cloning, expression trials and optimization of purification methods and conditions are particularly well-suited for
automated techniques. COMPPÅ is in the unique position of being able to rely on ten years of experience with
the New York Consortium of Membrane Protein Structure, therefore, it will be able to offer services and engage
in collaborations from the first day of operation. Furthermore, COMPPÅ will continue to develop reagents and
methods for the efficient production, sample preparation, functional analyses and structure determination of
membrane proteins. These will be made as services as soon as they have been tested in collaborative
projects. We propose to make all of these membrane-protein related resources available not just to the
structural biology community, but to scientists of all disciplines.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9939562
- **Project number:** 5P41GM116799-05
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** WAYNE A. HENDRICKSON
- **Activity code:** P41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $80,798
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9939562

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9939562, Collaboration & Service (243-302) (5P41GM116799-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9939562. Licensed CC0.

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