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This is one of the first books dedicated to the emerging field of neutron protein crystallography (NPC). The text covers all of the practical aspects of NPC, from the basic background of neutron scattering and diffraction, to the technical details of neutron facilities, growth of high-quality crystals, and data analysis. The final chapter is devoted to providing many examples of using NPC to investigate a wide range of different proteins. It demonstrates how NPC can explore hydrogen bonds, protonation and deprotonation of amino acid residues, hydration structures, and hydrogen-to-deuterium exchange ratios. To avoid redundancy with other textbooks on X-ray protein crystallography (XPC), this book assumes a familiarity with the basics of XPC and strives to highlight and explain the differences between XPC and NPC. It is therefore especially useful for X-ray protein crystallographers who are eager to have a sound, scientific basis for judging if NPC is the right technique for furthering their experimental programs.

The binding of small ligands to biological molecules is central to most aspects of biological function. The past twenty years has seen the development of an increasing armoury of biophysical methods that not only detect such binding, but also provide varying degrees of information about the kinetics, thermodynamics and structural aspects of the process. These methods have received increasing attention with the growth in more rational approaches to drug discovery and design. This book reviews the latest advances in the application of biophysics to the study of ligand binding. It provides a complete overview of current techniques to identify ligands, characterise their binding sites and understand their binding mechanisms. Particular emphasis is given to the combined use of different techniques and their relative strengths and weaknesses. Consistency in the way each technique is described makes it easy for readers to select the most suitable protocol for their research. The introduction explains why some techniques are more suitable than others and emphasizes the possible synergies between them. The following chapters, all written by a specialist in the particular technique, focus on each method individually. The book finishes by describing how several complimentary techniques can be used together for maximum effectiveness. This book is suitable for biomolecular scientists at graduate or post-doctoral level in academia and industry. Biologists and chemists will also find it a useful introduction to the techniques available.