Externally Funded Projects

 The initiative has two strategic objectives:

•  to support transnational users of national facilities in the domain of synchrotron and FEL science;
•  to support joint research activities (JRAs) with the purpose of
  a) enhancing the effectiveness of the facilities in serving users and in particular transnational users, and
  b) contributing to the development of novel sources in this domain.

Understand the mechanisms whereby influenza virus adapts from avian to human hosts. Undertake a comprehensive study of the molecular structure and function of the influenza virus polymerase with the aim of understanding how it adapts during inter-species transmission. The researchers will focus on determination of the atomic structure of two important viral proteins: polymerase and the trimeric complex. Through advanced functional genomics, studies in animals and bioinformatic methods they will identify mutations that are particular important for transmission between different species. This will help to elaborate new molecular tools for influenza research and to design strategies for screening novel anti-influenza drugs targeting polymerase. Provide new knowledge that will allow to better monitor and combat the emergence of pandemic influenza strains. 

• To develop a Grid-enabled user interface to allow structural biologists to interact easily with all the required resources for protein crystallography.
• To develop distributed HPC and Grid portal software for e-HTPX related job-submission, data monitoring and transfer. Provide secure access to all facilities over the internet.
• To implement a Grid-based portal for managing and analysing projects submitted to high-throughput protein production.
• To develop systems for controlling the diffraction data collection and analysis in the context of a Grid-enabled resource based on rules as currently used by experts in the field of protein crystallography both at the SRS Daresbury and BM14 at the ESRF. These developments would be made in such a way that they are directly transferable to Diamond, the new UK synchrotron.
• To extend and develop structure determination software to take advantage of low-cost, highly parallel computing facilities [e.g. Linux clusters] so that feedback can be provided on the success, or otherwise, of phasing on the same timescale as data collection.
• To develop a Grid-based application allowing the user to manage flow of data from the initial stages of target selection to the automated deposition of the final refined model in the public.
• To develop softwares related to the automation and management of PX beamlines.