On integral membrane proteins in neurons. Authors demonstrate that the interaction of calmodulin with the vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP 2) is involved in Ca-dependent exocytosis.

On the direct capture of synaptic vesicles from neurons as a means to study synapse-specific membrane proteins on a sensor surface. The paper is rich in experimental detail and the method is proposed as a general approach to differential proteomics, or the use of organelles as markers or pharmacological targets.

A high-throughput approach to quantify DNA-protein interactions, which can aid the identification of functional genetic polymorphisms. Biacore experiments support microarray data based on fluorescent reading. The method was tested on two distinct transcription factors. Biacore’s experimental conditions and data analysis are well described.

Thorough mutation and glycosylation analysis of the interaction of IL22 with sIL22R1 and sIL10R2, revealing the need of a glycosylated asparagine residue in the binding-site. The paper is almost exclusively based on well-performed Biacore measurements, ranging from simple interaction analysis to on-chip enzymatic reactions. Highly recommended to all scientists interested in mutation analysis.

Detailed study on the power of Biacore kinetic analysis to rationally deduce the mechanisms by which cationic peptides bind and disrupt bacterial membranes, leading to cell death. The peptides are potentially therapeutic in humans: the task is to find those that are bactericidal but non-toxic to eukaryotic cells. The authors achieve this by constructing and immobilizing prokaryotic-like and eukaryotic-like membranes on a sensor surface and observing peptide binding patterns.

On how FAD reduction and substrate binding affect the interaction between the multifunctional flavoprotein, PutA and bacterial membranes. A complex biochemical mechanistic study on bacterial metabolism with Biacore the principal technology used.

A screen for enzyme inhibitors, based on SPR-MS, is described, with the sensor surface the focal point for all the reactions.

An excellent general review of SPR-MS.

Proof-of-principle and reference paper for SPR-MS.  It describes a streamlined procedure that from ligand fishing and recovery to sample preparation for MALDI mass spectrometry including on-target digestion with a model system consisting of calmodulin captured from a crude biological mixture.

Review of uses of Biacore to study b-amyloid interactions for Alzheimer’s disease research. Discusses a variety of Biacore assay approaches and details about assay design and the data that was generated from each.

Neuroscience. Screening for low molecular weight inhibitors of aggregation and thus toxicity of b-amyloid by affinity analysis. Affinity data shown to correlate seen with cell toxicity data.

Carefully controlled experiments encompassing multicomponent analysis in the field of neuropathology. A clever application in which the authors have used Biacore as a more rapid alternative to immunoprecipitation followed by detection with an antibody to a second molecule.

An excellent paper that explains what thermodynamics can tell us!