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Ranjana Sarma, Graduate StudentContact Information:Montana State UniversityDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry226 Chemistry and Biochemistry & BuildingBozeman, MT 59717
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Research Interests
I am from India. After finishing my undergraduate degree in India, I moved to the US for my graduate career. I transferred to Montana State University in the summer of 2005 and have been working towards a Ph.D degree in biochemistry at the Peters Lab. I work on the project that involves study of “The Role of MgATP in Nitrogenase Catalysis” using several spectroscopic techniques, like small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and x-ray diffraction methods. The focus of these studies is to enhance the fundamental understanding of the nitrogenase catalytic mechanism by providing insights into the role of MgATP in the nucleotide dependent conformational changes of Fe protein. My work involves the expression and purification of the native Fe-protein from the wild type A.vinelandii cells for characterization by both solution phase experiments (SAXS) and crystallographic studies. SAXS is used to study the protein in solution, in its most favorable buffer condition and it compliments the x-ray diffraction techniques by allowing the study of states of the protein that are difficult to capture in crystal form. Although the data obtained using SAXS is of low resolution compared to x-ray diffraction methods, it is very helpful is studying conformational changes in a protein as a result of nucleotide binding. For x-ray diffraction techniques, attempts at crystallizing the protein in the presence of nucleotide triphosphate analogs are carried out. Once the crystals are obtained, they are then used to obtain x-ray diffraction data at an x-ray beam source like SSRL (Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratories) in California. What follows after the x-ray diffraction data is obtained can only be experienced and not explained. It's for that thrill of life that I joined in this project and chose to be part of the most happening lab ever. Apart from work, I love to spend time practicing Aikido and experiencing the best of what Bozeman has to offer.
Education
1999-2003 |
B. Tech., Anna University, Chennai, India
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Research Experience and Awards
Summer 2001
Summer 2002
Spring 2003
Fall 2003- Spring 2004 Fall 2004- Spring 2005 |
Summer intern in the DNA Fingerprinting Lab at Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnosis (CDFD), Hyderabad, India Summer intern at Powder Metallurgy Group (PMG) of Defense Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad, India Industrial trainee at Powder Metallurgy Group (PMG) of Defense Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad, India Research intern in Immunogenetics Lab at Department of Genetics, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India Research Fellow in the IBIOS Program at the Hucks Institute of Life Sciences at Penn State University, State College, PA
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Publications
Sarma, R; Barney, BM; Hamilton, TL; Jones, A; Seefeldt, LC; Peters, JW. Crystal structure of the L protein of Rhodobacter sphaeroides light-independent protochlorophyllide reductase with MgADP bound: a homologue of the nitrogenase Fe protein. Biochemistry 2008; 47: 13004-13015.
Sarma, R; Mulder, DW; Brecht, E; Szilagyi, RK; Seefeldt, LC; Tsuruta, H; Peters, JW, Probing the MgATP-Bound Conformation of the Nitrogenase Fe Protein by Solution Small-Angle X-ray Scattering. Biochemistry 2007; 46: 14058-14066.
