Improving a special X-ray technique to understand how important molecules in our bodies work
Official title: Development of high-dose time-resolved X-ray footprinting technologies to enable detailed structural and kinetics information to be obtained for challenging biological problems
Funded at University of Calif-Lawrenc Berkeley Lab · NIH-11089508 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is making a powerful X-ray technique called XFMS even better and more available to scientists across the country, helping them learn more about how proteins and other biological molecules function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Calif-Lawrenc Berkeley Lab NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2018 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $420,411 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM126218-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11089508 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project is focused on developing a research tool, so it does not directly involve patient participation, but future research using this tool could benefit patients with various conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical intervention will not find direct benefit from this foundational technology development.
What this research studies
Our bodies rely on tiny molecules like proteins and antibodies to do their jobs, and understanding their exact shapes and movements is key to developing new medicines. This project focuses on enhancing a special X-ray technique, X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry (XFMS), which helps scientists map out these molecules in detail. By making this tool more advanced and easier for researchers to use, we can gain deeper insights into how biological systems work. The improvements will allow scientists to study even more complex biological problems, potentially leading to new ways to fight diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this enhanced technology will provide biomedical researchers with a more powerful tool to understand disease mechanisms and develop new treatments.
How similar studies have gone: X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry (XFMS) is an established method that has provided useful structural information across diverse biological systems, and this project builds on previous successes in instrument development.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Calif-Lawrenc Berkeley Lab
Berkeley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ralston, Corie Y — University of Calif-Lawrenc Berkeley Lab
- Study coordinator: Ralston, Corie Y
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
A PET marker to study myelin and brain wiring in aging and Alzheimer’s disease
This study tests a new PET tracer to see how myelin health relates to aging and Alzheimer’s disease in people who may be at risk or affected.
-
Structural Cell Biology Core for DNA Damage Response in Cancer
A core facility at a major university will provide advanced structural biology and AI-enabled imaging tools to study how DNA damage response proteins assemble and work in cancer cells.
-
EMB Core at UC Berkeley boosts DNA repair protein research
A core laboratory at UC Berkeley is expanding its methods to produce high-quality DNA repair proteins and complexes, using advanced gene editing to study human cell lines.
-
Regulation of double-strand break repair during replication stress
Aims to understand how human cells decide between safe and risky DNA repair during replication stress, which could influence cancer development and treatment.
-
Mechanisms of single-strand DNA break repair and how PAR chains regulate them
A large, multi-institutional project is exploring how cells fix single-strand DNA breaks and how the PARP system influences this process, with implications for improving cancer treatments.
-
Understanding how ERCC1-XPF is turned on to fix damaged DNA in cancer-related pathways
A researchers team is studying how a DNA-cutting enzyme (ERCC1-XPF) is activated in damaged DNA repair pathways to better understand cancer and responses to chemotherapy.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.