Agilent Technologies Diffractometer is Centerpiece of New Structural Biology Lab at Budapest Technical University

Researchers were able to publish their first study just three months after the facility opened, an accomplishment they attribute to a very smooth installation and the high throughput of the diffractometer, coupled with a protein crystallization robot. The study looks at the atomic structure of enzymes involved in the mechanism of pathogenicity in Staphylococcus aureus, a major human bacterial pathogen that frequently causes severe disease.

“We’re a regional center for structural biology, serving both researchers and students,” said professor Beáta Vértessy, group leader and head of Biostruct. “We thank Agilent for quickly and seamlessly installing the diffractometer, which was employed immediately in collecting data used in elucidating the important Staphylococcus aureus enzyme structure as well as for numerous other projects.”

Biostruct is funded by a grant from the Hungarian National Innovation Office. Professor László Dux, the country’s undersecretary for higher education, attended the dedication to officially open the laboratory.