New methods of X-ray analysis of protein structure and dynamics

Protein function is determined by the three-dimensional structure and dynamical changes in the conformation during biological reactions. The structure-function relationships currently may be investigated in atomic detail even in the case of complex multi-protein systems. Such studies involve methods of X-ray crystal structure analysis that are based on the use of highly intense synchrotron radiation. The methods recently have been further developed, opening the way to structural genomics applications. The construction of free-electron lasers (FELs) at DESY provides the basis for entirely new types of applications in biological structural research. The VUV-FEL that recently has become operational at DESY may be used for Raman spectroscopic studies in the vacuum-UV on femtosecond time scales. The hard X-ray regime will be made accessible by the planned construction of an X-ray laser (X-FEL) at DESY. The X-FEL may be used for a number of applications including structural analysis of transient states on short time scales down to the femtosecond range, combined use of Mößbauer effect and diffraction for solving highly complex structures and simultaneous analysis of dynamical processes, and determination of the three-dimensional structures of non-crystalline matter and single (virus) particles.