Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics

The Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics (CBSD COBRE) at
the University of Montana (UM) supports research that applies the methods and concepts of biophysics,
structural biology and chemistry to understand the mechanistic basis of biological processes in health and
disease. The CBSD COBRE draws from a pool of about 60 faculty members from the basic and biomedical
sciences in the College of Humanities and Sciences and the College of Health. This phase III proposal builds
on the successes of phases I and II of COBRE support for the CBSD that have led to the hiring of seven new
faculty and early career support for an additional nine UM faculty. The direct COBRE support for their research
efforts, the COBRE-supported research cores that underpin their research programs and the vibrant seminar
and mentoring programs sponsored by the CBSD COBRE have propelled these early career investigators to
success. As a cohort, they have been awarded 39 grants that brought in $16.8 million to support their research
and have generated 83 well-cited peer-reviewed publications. During phases I and II, the CBSD COBRE has
supported four research cores, the Integrated Structural Biology Core (ISBC), which provides gene to structure
services, the BioSpectroscopy Core Research Laboratory (BCRL), which gives CBSD researchers access to
state-of-the-art fluorescence lifetime and imaging instrumentation, the Molecular Computation Core Facility
(MCCF), which provides molecular docking, drug discovery and molecular dynamics (MD) platforms, and the
Mass Spectrometry Core Facility (MSCF), which applies proteomic and metabolomic approaches to CBSD
research problems. The growth in the number of CBSD researchers afforded by investment in early career
investigators and strong investment in research core infrastructure during phases I and II of COBRE support,
which has included more than $2 million in new equipment resulting from extramural equipment grants, has
positioned the CBSD well to attain long-term sustainability with phase III COBRE support. The CBSD COBRE
will use the phase III COBRE to pursue three specific aims designed to sustain the CBSD beyond phase III.
With specific aim 1, we will continue to expand the cutting-edge capabilities of our research cores by carefully
prioritizing COBRE and institutional resources so that the cores respond to the needs of their users and by
continuing to vigorously pursue extramural funding for equipment that enhances core infrastructure. Specific
aim 2 will evolve the role of the Administrative Core to lead the CSBD to sustainability through strategic
financial planning and ongoing mentoring programs that keep CBSD researchers across career stages at the
leading edge of their research areas. Finally, specific aim 3 will develop a Pilot Project program designed to
incentivize new scientific directions that not only use, but also expand the technical capabilities of our research
cores. This carefully-designed framework will ensure the long-term sustainability of the CBSD and the vital
research community that it supports.

Grant Number: 5P30GM140963-05
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: BRUCE BOWLER