 |
| Bruker VERTEX 70 FT-IR Spectromet |
The joy of mutli-disciplinary projects is that you get to learn and do something that is completely out of your expertise and course topics!
 |
| Physics Summerstudent Audrey Gilles |
This means a sneak for me into the world of Infrared Spectroscopy and its biophysical appliaction to understand the protein-drug interactions of InhA and Isoniazid (INH) and a walk over to Strathclyde's Physics Department located in the John Anderson Building.
I was working with Dr Neil Hunt's summer student Audrey Gilles who is heading into her 4th year of BSc Physics and we turned out to be a great little team!
She was teaching me how to use the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer and I gave her an insight of biology things such as buffers...
First, I had to learn how to assemble the so-called "window" with my sample and how to take a consistent spectrum. For all our experiments we had to use D2O instead of H2O, as water gives peaks in exactly the area of interest in the spectra!
 |
| FTIR Window Assembly |
To handle D2O can be quite frustrating as it tends to take up water from the air which will ruin your spectrum! So we had to be careful and quick whilst working with our samples!
The plan was to take spectra of my mutant and WT InhA and then take a spectrum with Audrey's Isoniazos-NADH Adduct, unfortunately, due to the fact that most people of the group were down at RAL, I was left with no usable protein, and could not purify more, because I am not qualified to use the AKTA by myself.
Therefore, instead, we investigated the adducts behaviour in variuos pH and molarity ranges of phosphate buffers.
Next week, it is already time to wrap up everthing and a last sprint towards the finishing line of my summerplacement!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment