This volume is a collection of the contributions presented at the 42nd Erice Crystallographic Course whose main objective was to train the younger generation on advanced methods and techniques for examining structural and dynamic aspects of biological macromolecules. The papers review the techniques used to study protein assemblies and their dynamics, including X-ray diffraction and scattering, electron cryo-electron microscopy, electro nanospray mass spectrometry, NMR, protein docking and molecular dynamics. A key theme throughout the book is the dependence of modern structural science on multiple experimental and computational techniques, and it is the development of these techniques and their integration that will take us forward in the future.

Proceedings of the International School of Structural Biology and Magnetic Resonance, held at Erice, Italy, in 2003.

A collection of articles looking at modern structural biology, summarizing the applications of physical methods - such as x-ray diffraction, high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular dynamics - to the study of protein structure and dynamics. There is a review of contemporary thoughts within the field, looking at the mechanisms of alloateric transitions and allosteric control, the transmission of information within protein structures and the role of dynamics in determining the specificity of protein - ligand interactions. There is also a look at future innovations.

Molecular Biology of Assemblies and Machines provides a comprehensive narrative of the ways in which macromolecular structures assemble and how they interact with other complexes and organelles in the cell. Richly illustrated in full color, the text is written for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers in biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, cell biology, chemistry, structural biology, immunology, microbiology, and medicine.

This is a collection of papers presented and discussed at the first EBSA workshop held at Saltsj6baden outside stockholm in Sweden, July 6-10, 1986. The common theme of these papers is dynamics of biomolecules, and how the dynamics depends on the molecular structure and organi zation, and connects to and determines the biological function. This is a rapidly expanding field of research which combines many different aspects of molecular bio physics. Much material is new and presented for the first time. Even if the work so far has been of the kind that is usually called basic research, practical applications are clearly indicated in some articles, and are waiting around the corner in several other cases. At the workshop only one third of the time was used for the formal presentations and two thirds for discussion. To this should also be added discussions during the poster sessions. During these lively and unrecorded discussions fresh viewpoints emerged and new ideas were created. Ad mittedly, our knowledge at present is only fragmentary but when pieces of the puzzle are brought together at a workshop or in a publication of this kind more extended and sometimes unexpected contours and shapes become vi sible. It is our hope that this rapid publication of camera-ready manuscripts will transfer some of the spi rit at the workshop to the reader, and in his or her institute or laboratory initiate further discussions, bring forward more ideas and start new experimental ap roaches.

This volume covers some powerful biophysical methods, such as analytical centrifugation, mass spectrometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, electron spin resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance, for the study of complex biological structures, and discusses useful physical concepts as applied to biological and biochemical systems. Case-orientated studies concentrating on particular methodologies are presented and examples are given, addressing some of the most important aspects of structure-function relationship in biological assemblies. Biophysics nowadays collaborates closely with molecular biology and bioinformatics and this is also demonstrated in this book. The book will be of interest both to experienced researchers wishing to widen their insight into molecular structure and function, and to younger scientists at the doctoral and postdoctoral level interested in the molecular nature of fundamental biological entities and phenomena.

Polymers are essential to biology because they can have enough stable degrees of freedom to store the molecular code of heredity and to express the sequences needed to manufacture new molecules. Through these they perform or control virtually every function in life. Although some biopolymers are created and spend their entire career in the relatively large free space inside cells or organelles, many biopolymers must migrate through a narrow passageway to get to their targeted destination. This suggests the questions: How does confining a polymer affect its behavior and function? What does that tell us about the interactions between the monomers that comprise the polymer and the molecules that confine it? Can we design and build devices that mimic the functions of these nanoscale systems? The NATO Advanced Research Workshop brought together for four days in Bikal, Hungary over forty experts in experimental and theoretical biophysics, molecular biology, biophysical chemistry, and biochemistry interested in these questions. Their papers collected in this book provide insight on biological processes involving confinement and form a basis for new biotechnological applications using polymers. In his paper Edmund DiMarzio asks: What is so special about polymers? Why are polymers so prevalent in living things? The chemist says the reason is that a protein made of N amino acids can have any of 20 different kinds at each position along the chain, resulting in 20 N different polymers, and that the complexity of life lies in this variety.