An application note on the combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the structure of biomolecules has been published by Anton Paar.
Structural and dynamic characterisation of biomolecular protein complexes is the key for understanding essential biological processes and mechanisms and their role in diseases. The complexity of these systems as well as the necessity to measure them in their native state, i.e. in solution, renders them difficult for conventional structural biology techniques.
Combining small-angle X-ray scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy can meet this requiremen, with SAXS revealing the overall 3-dimensional shape and size of biomolecular complexes in solution and NMR proving high-resolution information on inter-atomic distances, binding interfaces and orientation of subunits.
