EMBO Practical Course — Integrative structural biology: solving molecular puzzles

Integrative structural biology has become a key strategy for determining the structure of biological macromolecules and their complexes. This method entails characterising the 3D structure through an array of complementary techniques, subsequently combining the data to form a consensus model using computational methodologies. This practical course offers a hands-on introduction to integrative structural biology. Participants will delve into the fundamentals of various experimental structure determination techniques including X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, small-angle X-ray scattering, NMR, and mass spectrometry, through both lectures and practical exercises. Experts in the field will guide participants on how to analyse and interpret experimental data, and construct structural models across different resolution scales. A significant aspect of the course includes exploring how integrative structural biology addresses limitations of Artificial Intelligence-based structure prediction methods in modelling large complexes and their functional conformations. It will also highlight the emerging field of integrative structural biology of biomolecular complexes visualised directly in their cellular context. The course location at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Hamburg and the Center for Structural Systems Biology on the DESY campus will provide on-site synchrotron SAXS and MX beamlines for training. A guided visit to the European XFEL site is also included in the programme.