| The challenge of Proteomics is to understand the function and reaction mechanism of highly specialized proteins on the level of their molecular and electronic structure. Owing to recent technological and methodological advances, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and its extension to Electron Nuclear Double Resonance (ENDOR) and Electron Electron Double Resonance (ELDOR) are in an outstanding position to contribute significantly to this demanding research field. In this context, we aim at the development of a Dutch-German group of competence in the field of multi-frequency EPR research on biological systems in action. The participating groups from Leiden, Berlin, Osnabrück, Dortmund and Mülheim/Ruhr have realized that sharing their scientific and technological expertise and equipment is attended with great synergy. Here we formulate a cooperation programme in which the research groups optimally benefit from each other?s strengths. As a result, the cooperation partners can make use of EPR spectrometers in the range of 3 to 360 GHz, can combine experiments in the frequency and time domain, and have access to probeheads that can handle polycrystalline samples, single-crystal samples, as well as static and flowing liquid samples. First-rate expertise present in the consortium with respect to site-directed spin-label mutagenesis, molecular-dynamics modeling and quantum-chemical electronic-structure calculations guarantees that all conditions are fulfilled for a successful study of functioning proteins at a molecular level. For the cooperation to work, we plan short 2-to 3-day visits of members of the respective teams (staff and co-workers) to each other's laboratories and extended 2 to 3 months research periods of master students, Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory of one of the other cooperation partners. Besides, the Dutch and German groups will come together each year to discuss results and optimize their collaboration. One workshop is planned in Berlin in 2007, one in Osnabrück in 2008, and a more open conference including invited experts from outside the consortium in Leiden in 2009. The proposed cooperation programme shows that we not only establish a Dutch-German group of competence in bioEPR, at the same time we provide a breeding place for young, talented people who will function in a transnational project in research groups that host scientists from many EU countries and outside. Besides science, training will greatly benefit from the NWO-DFG cooperation. |
