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Hamburg, Germany – A team of international researchers, coordinated by the University of Hamburg, has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant to develop a groundbreaking method for studying the dynamics of proteins. The project, which will receive approximately nine million euros in funding over the next six years, aims to revolutionize how scientists observe the building blocks of life in action.
The research project, titled SPARX (Structural Perturbations by Applied electRic-field Xtallography), seeks to investigate how proteins respond to electric fields. Proteins are not static structures; they constantly change shape to trigger essential biological processes within the human body. Understanding these movements is critical for identifying new targets for pharmaceutical drugs.
An International Collaborative Effort
The project is led by project spokesperson Prof. Dr. Doeke Hekstra, who holds positions at both the University of Hamburg and Harvard University. He will conduct his research within the university’s Cluster of Excellence, "CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter." The project brings together expertise from several leading institutions:
- University of Hamburg (Host Institution)
- Harvard University
- Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Switzerland
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter
Moving Beyond Lasers
Traditionally, scientists have used laser pulses to trigger protein movement, which is then observed using X-ray light. However, Prof. Hekstra notes that only a limited number of proteins respond directly to light. By utilizing electric fields instead, the team aims to simulate conditions found naturally in living organisms, such as the signaling processes in brain cells or enzyme-driven chemical reactions.
"When we stimulate proteins with electric fields, we can investigate a broader range of their movements and structural changes," explained Prof. Hekstra. This approach is expected to reveal "cryptic binding pockets"-hidden sites that only appear when a protein changes its shape-which could serve as new targets for future therapies against cancer and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
The team plans to develop specialized instrumentation that will eventually be applicable at synchrotron light sources worldwide, including the SwissFEL at PSI and PETRA III at DESY, marking a significant step forward in structural biology and medical research.
