Machine and Technology Upgrades at Instruct-CZ
Instruct-CZ, the Czech Infrastructure for Integrative Structural Biology (CIISB), is formed by two Centers of Excellence for Structural Biology constructed within the projects CEITEC – Central European Institute of Technology, Brno and BIOCEV - Biotechnology and Biomedicine Centre, Vestec, Prague-West. Both facilities have made upgrades to their technologies in 2024, providing more advanced services for structural biology researchers.
BIOCEV
CF Diffraction Techniques have successfully upgraded the X-ray source of the SAXS instrument. The upgrade of MetalJet C2 to D2+ brought more than double intensity of the primary beam.
The instrument enables rapid standard SAXS measurements with a low volume autosampler, SEC-SAXS experiments or special applications, now with substantially improved signal to noise ratio.
CEITEC
The Biomolecular Interactions and Crystallography Core Facility of CEITEC MU is very happy to announce the installation of a new cutting-edge instruments that will assist in characterisation of biomacromolecules. Mass photometer TwoMP (Refeyn) is designed to precisely determine molecular mass of proteins, nucleic acids and other macromolecules in a broad range of sizes. The machine is equipped with a recently developed fluidics system, allowing to analyse both high- and low-stability complexes across various concentrations. The instrument will be operated in user mode and shall be available by the end of the year.
The Fluorolog QM (Horriba) is a state-of-the-art modular spectrofluorometer designed for comprehensive fluorescence measurements. Its high sensitivity and flexibility make it ideal for a wide range of applications in life sciences. The system's modular design allows for the integration of various options of measurement - fluorescence anisotropy, time-resolved anisotropy with time-correlated single photon counting platform, and temperature-controlled fluorescence experiments. These options enable customised experimental setups to meet the specific needs of coming researchers. In addition to a standard cuvette, it is possible to use the ultralow volume cuvette with 1-5 μl volume which can be used for determination of quality steady state or lifetime data.
The Chirascan V100 (Applied Photophysics) is designed for circular dichroism (CD) studies, a well-established technique essential for investigating the properties of various molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and chiral drugs. This new instrument offers higher sensitivity and an improved signal-to-noise ratio, enabling more detailed measurements of changes in secondary and tertiary structure, as well as structural changes upon heating.
All instruments shall be accessible since the beginning of 2025. For more details, visit the CEITEC page here.