Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/H027319/1
Title:	Next Generation Techniques for Analysis of Biomolecular Systems
Principal Investigator:	Calvert, Dr CR
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Aarhus University Dublin City University
Department:	Sch of Mathematics and Physics
Organisation:	Queen's University of Belfast
Scheme:	Postdoc Research Fellowship
Starts:	01 January 2011	Ends:	13 January 2012	Value (£):	251,696
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Analytical Science Chemical Biology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 27 Jan 2010 PDRF CDIP Interview Panel Announced 17 Dec 2009 PDRF CDIP Sift Panel Excluded
Summary on Grant Application Form
The discovery of the structure of DNA more than 50 years ago marked the birth of molecular biology and demonstrated the need for interdisciplinary research in answering its fundamental questions. Since then a myriad of different biological molecules have been discovered which perform a diverse range of functions in living organisms. The detailed structure of each molecule, as opposed to its purely chemical composition, is crucial in determining the precise role it plays. More recently the importance of the dynamic properties of these molecules in response to external stimuli has been recognised. Many of these transient processes are electronic in nature and therefore occur on femtosecond (million billionth of a second) timescales or less, for example the harvesting of light in photosynthesis and radiation damage and repair in DNA. The ongoing development of new laboratory- and facility-based light sources capable of generating ultrashort, intense light pulses over a range of wavelengths, will provide opportunities to generate unprecendented information on the structure of biological molecules and to unravel their ultrafast dynamic behaviour. In this project the latest ultrafast laser, ion storage, and mass spectrometry technologies will be utilised to develop methods for determining the structure and dynamics of peptide molecules. This will be a benchmark for extending the use of these methods to more complicated biomolecular structures which cannot be studied with conventional techniques. Ultimately this will give the candidate the experience necessary to exploit the powerful new light sources which will become available in the next 5-10 years, for the purposes of advancing understanding of molecular structure and dynamics in biological sciences.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.qub.ac.uk