Much of our work of late has focused on the use of 19F NMR to probe protein conformational dynamics. Cysteine-specific CF3 tags provide readouts of both local and global conformational states, and we often dabble in the design of more sensitive tags. Via biosynthetic labeling, we can also incorporate fluorinated amino acid analogs which can then be used in 1-, 2-, and 3D-NMR applications to study protein conformations.
Fragment-based drug discovery and pharmacology can be studied in detail by monitoring ligand NMR signals in the presence of appropriately labeled receptors. Using paramagnetic beacons, details regarding the binding site and bound drug pose can be determined.
