ENABLING TOOLS FOR STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY OF MICROBIAL AND PLANT SYSTEMS RELEVANT TO BIOENERGY

Biological Systems Science Division (BSSD) supports research to understand, predict, and design biological processes that underpin innovations for bioenergy and bioproduct production and to enhance the understanding of natural environmental processes relevant to DOE. Structural characterization of biological systems and their components provide critical insights that illuminate these processes. Powerful experimental approaches to structural characterization include diffraction, scattering and imaging techniques at the DOE synchrotron and neutron user facilities (which are funded by Basic Energy Sciences; see https://www.energy.gov/science/bes/basic-energy-sciences) as well as cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), cryo-electron tomography (cryoET) for molecular or tomographic characterization of biological samples, and micro-electron diffraction (microED). BER supports access, training and user support for experimental capabilities described at www.BERStructuralBioPortal.org to enable experiments for studying and understanding structural and functional processes of importance to the BER Genomic Science program (GSP; see https://genomicscience.energy.gov/index.shtml). These BER-supported capabilities are freely available to all researchers through peer-reviewed facility proposal processes. This SBIR-STTR topic encourages the development of tools necessary for doing experiments at the beamlines or that can facilitate cryoEM/ET or microED investigations. a. Tools or Instruments for Structural Characterization of Biological Systems Ranging from Atomic to MultiCellular Scales This subtopic solicits the development of robust tools that are needed to improve structural biology and imaging capabilities for researchers studying microbial or plant systems, or their components, relevant to DOE mission interests. For this solicitation, structural biology targets range from the atomic to multi-cellular scale. For this solicitation, technology areas for structural characterization include facility-based x-ray, neutron or infrared beamline-based techniques and cryo-EM/ET or micro-ED for determining the 3D structures of macromolecules, macromolecular complexes, cells, cellular components, or tissues. Examples of concepts responsive to this announcement include tools or instruments for beam focus or alignment, sample preparation, handling, positioning or detection for any of the above mentioned technology areas; tools for correlative approaches will also be considered. This could include detailed evaluation of the same sample with different techniques, or sequential, multi-scalar techniques for macromolecular or multicellular imaging followed by selection of targeted domains for high resolution analysis. The purpose is to encourage development and commercialization of tools that ease use, improve results, or overcome obstacles associated with existing technologies. Algorithm development, software or informatics solutions are not included under this subtopic, but could be submitted under the SBIR/STTR Topic C55-17, Complex Data: Advanced Data Analytic Technologies for Systems Biology and Bioenergy . Questions Contact: Amy Swain, Amy.Swain@science.doe.gov b. Other In addition to the specific subtopics listed above, the Department invites grant applications in other areas that fall within the scope of the topic description above.