Our labs have expertise in studying the structure and activities of the complex polysaccharide heparan sulphate, which is found on the surface of all cells, and in studying biological processes in cell and developmental biology. These sugars have considerable structural diversity, and bind to many specialised proteins, such as growth factors, responsible for controlling cell behaviour in all tissues. Our labs are interested in finding out more about the molecular basis for their actions and exploiting their exciting natural properties by using them as tools to chemically interfere in biological systems. In this project we are planning to exploit a new approach we have developed for creating libraries of HS sugars with diverse structures, to study the relationships between structure and activity for a number of growth factors. We will examine how differences in structure affect the ability of these sugars to alter growth factor activities in biological assays using test tube, cell and whole animal assays. This will allow us to carry out experiments in a biological system in which targeted intervention of a known pathway and its biological outcome will be conducted. We will collect and compare the data from screening assays to both determine structural specificity amongst diverse growth factors, and identify activating and inhibitory saccharide molecules for application as selective chemical intervention tools in biological systems. We will also use the information to design selected structures for full chemical synthesis and testing, with the aim of providing a supply of defined molecules for future intervention experiments. The ultimate goal will be to establish the application of engineered heparin saccharide as a powerful tool for revealing novel insights into the functional roles of specific HS sequences in regulation of biological systems. These studies will provide new information which will help us to understand how these sugar-protein interactions regulate the functions of cells. They fit into a number of areas within the broad Council remit of increasing understanding of how living organisms function (in this case, molecular interactions relevant to cell signaling and regulation) and providing knowledge which can be used to develop new technologies and products for medicine and industry.

Structural biology concerns the study of the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules and their interactions. Biomolecular Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of three core techniques in structural biology, and highly complementary to the other two, i.e. X-ray crystallography and Cryo EM. Extracting information from NMR data has traditionally been complex and non-intuitive. Many smart and innovative tools have been developed, which unfortunately often have been disconnected and not well integrated and sometimes hard to use. For nearly two decades, the Collaborative Computational Project for NMR (CCPN) has been central in providing a connecting interface between the NMR data and many of these tools. CCPN also actively promotes the sharing and exchange of knowledge and best practices. CCPN also actively engages with the UK and international research communities in all matters relating to research funding and policies. The CCPN aims to continue its immense value to the scientific community over the next 5 years by pursuing the following specific objectives: 1. Development of software relevant for NMR CCPN will improve, maintain and expand its programmes, to provide for new functionalities, improved handling, and better speeds. Through fortnightly updates and regular new releases, we will ensure the proper functioning of the software across multiple platforms. We will continuously work on interoperability of our software with other NMR programmes and implement relevant tools for reporting and research data management. 2. NMR in support of Biological Sciences We will facilitate and implement the latest computational tools and developments for NMR data analysis, automation, structure generation and validation. 3. NMR in support of Medicine NMR metabolomics is a thriving field that generates crucial knowledge on metabolic pathways from cells to organisms, including humans. We have designed AnalysisMetabolomics to leverage its power and we will focus on tools for non-expert users, streamlined annotation, assignment, metadata and deposition in public repositories. 4. NMR in support of Industry In collaboration with industrial and academic partners, we will test and enhance applications that are useful to industry. Examples are AnalysisScreen, small-molecule (NMR-assisted) docking procedures to optimise workflows and efficiency and ChemBuild to assist with fragment-based drug discovery. 5. Outreach and training Through its active outreach programme, engaging with all stakeholders including national and major international NMR facilities, CCPN will promote the continuous exchange of knowledge, provide training and support the adoption of best practices in NMR. There is a growing body of "how to" videos available on the website. CCPN will actively continue to promote and develop community data standards (NEF), and will take a leading role in discussions on research funding and policies. CCPN will continue its crucial role as intermediary between the UK and international NMR community, by fostering contacts with (inter-)national NMR facilities, other CCPs, the international wwPDB and NEF efforts. To strengthen the UK NMR community, we will continue the successful series of UK CCPN conferences and teaching programs, our comprehensive help and support for CCPN users, participate in international efforts in knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices, and engage in training and teaching through workshops, papers and (video) tutorials. In short, CCPN will continue to make a crucial difference to the biological NMR community in different fields such as Medicine and Industry as well as its traditional base of the biological sciences by acting as a focal point for technology development, collaboration and sharing best practices. Ultimately, researchers who are empowered with the best tools have more time to make new discoveries.