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Michael Becker
Associate Biophysicist
Ph.D., Biochemistry University of Washington, 1990
Biology Department, 463
tel: (631) 344-4739
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Michael Becker is a beam line scientist in the
Macromolecular Crystallography Research Resource (PXRR) which provides
facilities and support at the National Synchrotron Light Source for the benefit
of outside and in-house investigators. The PXRR is supported by the
NIH's National Center for Research Resources and the DOE Office of Biological
and Environmental Research in its mission to create optimal facilities and
environments for macromolecular structure determination by synchrotron X-ray
diffraction. With a staff of about 24, the PXRR innovates new access
modes such as FedEx crystallography, builds new facilities, currently on the
X25 undulator, advances automation, develops remote participation software,
collaborates with outside groups, teaches novice users, and supports visting
investigators with 7day, 20 hours staff coverage.
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Research Interests:
My research interests are focused on developing and using X-ray crystallographic and other methods to investigate protein structure-function relationships in systems that are both intriguing from a scientific perspective, and of clear importance from a humanistic perspective. My current interests are: I) Methods in membrane-protein structure determination In a presentation to the Biology Working Group at the Workshop on Fourth Generation Light Sources held at Argonne National Laboratory on October 27-29, 1997, I proposed that it may be possible to determine structures of membrane proteins in 2-dimensional crystals by using hard X-ray from a Free Electron Laser, such as those planned for development at SSRL-SLAC and at DESY. I have since elaborated further on this proposal at several workshops and meetings, and I am pursuing feasibility and developmental studies, using current and evolving technologies, towards realizing this goal once useable X-ray FEL beams become available. I am also interested in developing novel expression systems to obtain integral-membrane proteins in high yield for crystallographic and other studies. II) Systems: Malaria, Photosynthesis/Solar Energy, Neurobiology I have general and specific interests in the areas of malaria, photosynthesis/solar energy, and neurobiology, involving both membrane proteins and water-soluble proteins. |
| Beamline Responsibilities: |
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My main responsibility is to manage operations at the NSLS wiggler
Beam Line X25,
where I am the Spokesperson for Biomolecular Crystallography.
Many members of our group contribute to supporting the beamline,
including Lonny Berman, who is the Spokesperson for X25 overall,
Shai Vaday and Steve Lamarra, who are the Local Contacts, and
additional staff members.
A list of publications from the beamline can be seen in the NSLS Publications Data Base for X25 |
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| Selected References: |
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Bai T, Becker M, Gupta A, Strike P, Murphy VJ, Anders RF, and Batchelor AH. Structure of AMA1 from Plasmodium falciparum reveals a clustering of polymorphisms that surround a conserved hydrophobic pocket. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 102(36), 12736-41 (2005). PubMed Full Text PDB file 1Z40 Jmol viewer See also BNL Press Realease of August 29, 2005. |
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Becker M, Bunikis J, Lade BD, Dunn JJ, Barbour AG, and Lawson CL. Structural investigation of B. burgdorferi OspB, a bactericidal Fab target. J Biol Chem. 280(17), 17363-70 (2005). PubMed PDB files: 1RJL Jmol viewer, 1P4P Jmol viewer |
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Becker M and Weckert E. On the possibility of determining structures of membrane proteins in two-dimensional crystals using X-ray Free Electron Lasers. In: Conformational Proteomics of Macromolecular Architecture. (R.H. Cheng, L. Hammar, editors), World Scientific Publishing, Singapore, pp. 133-147 (2004). |
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Becker M and Berman L. Frontiers in structural biology at high-brightness X-ray sources. Synchrotron Radiation News 14, 7-9 (2001). |
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Becker M. Considerations on the possibility of using hard X-rays from a Free Electron Laser to determine structures of membrane proteins in 2-dimensional crystals. Potential Future Applications in Structural Biology of an X-ray Free Electron Laser at DESY pp. 184-198, EMBL, Hamburg (1999). |
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Becker M. Preliminary considerations on the possibility of using hard X-rays from a Free Electron Laser to determine structures of membrane proteins in 2-dimensional crystals. Biophys J. 76, A121 (1999). |
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Becker M, Stubbs MT, and Huber R. Crystallization of phycoerythrin 545 of Rhodomonas lens using detergents and unusual additives. Protein Sci. 7, 580-586 (1998). PubMed Full Text |
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Becker M, Nagarajan V, and Parson WW. Properties of the excited singlet states of bacteriochlorophyll a and bacteriopheophytin a in polar solvents. J Am Chem Soc. 113, 6840-6848 (1991). |
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Becker M, Nagarajan V, Middendorf D, Parson WW, Martin JE, and Blankenship RE. Temperature dependence of the initial electron-transfer kinetics in photosynthetic reaction centers of Chloroflexus aurantiacus. Biochim Biophys Acta 1057, 299-312 (1991). |
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| Updated 13 Sep 2005 |
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