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The right tool can make all the difference. That鈥檚 the case for a new instrument at UNH, an automated isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC), whose applications include optimizing drug development, improving chemical removal in the environment, and helping to create materials that accelerate wound healing.

鈥淚t greatly enhances our capacity for exciting research at UNH and beyond,鈥� says Sean Edington, assistant professor in the department of molecular, cellular and biomedical sciences and the department of chemistry, who spearheaded the effort to secure funding for the ITC from the National Science Foundation. 鈥淚t also provides our students with an important research skill, whether they continue with academic research or move into the biotech industry.鈥�

The ITC is accessible for both UNH and external academic users, as well as non-academic users as capacity permits, expanding capabilities across organizations in different fields.

What is isothermal titration calorimetry?

Isothermal titration calorimetry is a fundamental technique for many research areas, providing vital information about what happens when two things 鈥� such as two chemicals, two solutions, or two biological molecules 鈥� are mixed together. The instrument measures whether heat is consumed or released by the interaction and the magnitude of the change over time.

The ITC is accessible for both UNH and external academic users, as well as non-academic users as capacity permits, expanding capabilities across organizations in different fields.

It sounds simple, but it has far-reaching applications. Biochemists can learn what happens to molecular signaling and binding properties when a mutation affects a cellular receptor, a key measurement for drug development and a reason why isothermal titration calorimetry is considered the gold standard for understanding critical drug-target interactions. Material scientists can test whether a material is able to bind to and sequester per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) 鈥� dangerous 鈥渇orever鈥� chemicals 鈥� effectively enough to remove them from the environment. Bioengineers can assess hydrogel materials to determine how well they bind with growth factors to accelerate wound healing in the body. And much more.

Edington emphasizes that acquiring the ITC was an interdisciplinary effort spanning three departments across two UNH colleges: the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Also contributing were Aylin Aykanat and Nate Oldenhuis, both assistant professors of chemistry, Linqing Li, assistant professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering, Roy Planalp, professor of chemistry, and Patricia Stone, affiliate assistant professor of chemistry and analytical instrumentation scientist. Eva Rose Balog, associate professor of chemistry at the University of New England, is an important collaborator.

A different way to approach research

Edington is particularly interested in the roles of ions, such as calcium (Ca+) and potassium (K+), in biological signaling. Small changes, such as mutations in signaling proteins, can affect their binding properties. Ion binding sites are highly conserved in biology, which means that they are the same across many organisms. It also means that new discoveries about ion binding sites and signaling can have broad importance for both basic biology and disease research.

Now, the ITC will allow Edington to re-orient his research program, which uses infrared spectroscopy to investigate differences in the structural details of protein ion binding sites. The ITC will allow him to screen far more potential targets and focus detailed spectroscopy work on the most functionally interesting cases, greatly increasing efficiency.

鈥淚鈥檓 very excited about using the ITC to screen large numbers of targets and focus on the most illuminating for spectroscopy,鈥� says Edington. 鈥淚f we isolate atomic level properties that are important to the function of bigger things, it can have huge implications, such as understanding exactly why certain genetic mutations lead to heart disease or cancer.鈥�