The Structure Biology Centre in Tromsø (SBCT) & Molecular studies of host-pathogen interactions in fish

The aim of this initiative is the establishment of a structural biology centre of high international standard for determination and analysis of the 3D-structures of biologically active macromolecules. The Centre will build on and complement the existing p rotein crystallography laboratory at the Dept. of Chemistry, UoT, and will emphasize development of efficient pathways from recombinant protein production to structure determination using both X-ray and NMR techniques. The Centre will divide its activity between internal and external projects, offering competence and instrumentation in a broad range of techniques to the Norwegian molecular biology research community. Internal projects will focus on fish defence systems and molecules from fish pathogens, with a structural genomics approach to virulence factors and defence molecules of the model organisms. A range of ongoing projects within this field will be associated with the Centre, which together with the further molecular identification and characterisation described in the present proposal will ensure the input of interesting proteins and structural challenges. In addition, a range of external projects within bot h human medicine and other marine research areas regionally and nationally, will be associated with the Centre.