Structural and Molecular Analysis Platform

Presentation

The Structural and Molecular Analysis Platform (SMAP) is dedicated to help researcher answer biochemical and/or structural biology questions. An assistant engineer (Mounira Tiouajni), a research engineer (Aurélie Alleaume-Butaux) and an assistant professor (Pierre Nioche) run SMAP. The platform is expert in molecular biology (PCR, cloning, DNA analysis), biochemistry (protein expression in E. coli, protein purification, electrophoresis and UV/visible spectroscopy analysis) and X-ray crystallography (crystallization, X-ray data collection, 3D model refinement and analysis). The platform offers, to public or private laboratories, the services of gene cloning, protein expression, purification and crystallization, X-ray data collection and structure determination.

Over the last few years, we have obtained several public (ANR, ANSES, Emergence from U-Paris…) and private (SANOFI) contracts.

We have worked on many projects related to several proteins such as AhR, APRT, cytochrome P450s, DJ1, SOD and SARS-CoV2 M, N and S proteins.

 

Our work follows two types of provision of services to be discuss with us:

  1. SMAP gets preliminary data and is later included in grant applications as a collaborator or service provider
  2. SMAP works on demand with quotes and invoices

Equipements

The platform is composed of the following equipments: a PCR machine, 4 centrifuges (from microliter to liter volumes), 3 temperature-controlled orbital shakers, 2 FPLC, a UV/visible spectrophotometer, a crystallization robot, a liquid dispensing robot, a visualizing robot and a linux workstation.

To get X-ray crystallographic data, we have regular access to ESRF and SOLEIL synchrotrons.