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    Armour Faculty

    Thomas C. Irving, Ph.D.

    Professor of Biology and Physics
    Director, Center for Synchrotron Radiation Research and Instrumentation(CSRRI)
    Director, Biophysics Collaborative Access Team (BioCAT)

    BCPS,
    BME (secondary appointment)

    Office: 166C Life Sciences
    Office Hours:
    Phone: 312.567.3489
    Fax: 312.567.3494
    Email: irving@iit.edu
    Web: Thomas Irving's webpage

    Expertise

    • Biophysics of muscle contraction, non-crystalline x-ray diffraction, synchrotron radiation instrumentation

    Education

    • B.S. University of Guelph
    • Ph.D. University of Guelph
    • M.S. University of Guelph

    Curriculum Vitae

    Research & Major Accomplishments

    My research interests focus on the use of biophysical techniques to study the molecular basis for muscle physiology. My major research tool is small-angle X-ray diffraction which I use to study the ordered structures in muscle on the nm length scale. a major part of my R&D efforts go towards developing the BioCAT project, an NIH funded X-ray diffraction, scattering and spectroscopy facility at the Advanced Photon Source located at Argonne National labs, for a national and international community of users. This facility is arguably one of the best in the world for muscle studies of non-crystalline biological systems such as muscle and proteins in solution.

    Current Projects

    • Operate a Biotechnology Research Center at the Advanced Photon Source for non-crystalline diffraction scattering and x-ray spectroscopy of biological molecules, collaboration with NIH/NCRR
    • Deduce the structural and functional l roles of My-BP-C in cardiac muscle contraction, collaboration with University of Wisconsin/NIH
    • Deduce the structural and functional and structural roles of titin in muscle contraction, collaboration with University of Arizona/NIH

    Awards/Honors

    • Ontario Scholar (1974)
    • I.O.D.E. Capt. Frederick Bond Memorial University Entrance Scholarship
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship (1983-84)(1985-86)
    • Canadian Heart Foundation Post-doctoral Fellowship (1989 - 1991)
    • IITRI fellow (1998- 2000)
    • Sigma Xi / IIT Award for Excellence in University Research (senior division) 2007

    Patents

    Books

    Selected Publications

    Irving, T.C. 1998. A bright future for non-crystalline diffraction using synchrotron radiation. Nature Structural Biology, 5:Synchrotron Supplement, August 1998.

    Colson, B.A., Bekyarova, T., Irving, T.C., and Moss, R.L (2008). Radial displacement of myosin cross-bridges in mouse myocardium due to ablation of myosin binding protein-C. J. Mol. Biol. 367, 36-41

    Bekyarova T.I., Reedy M.C., Baumann B.A., Tregear R.T., Ward A., Krzic U., Prince K.M., Perz-Edwards R.J., Reconditi M., Gore D., Irving T.C., Reedy M.K. (2008).  Reverse actin sliding triggers strong myosin binding that moves tropomyosin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.105:10372-7.

    Michael Dickinson, Gerrie Farman, Mark Frye, Tanya Bekyarova, David Gore, David Maughan and Thomas C. Irving. Molecular Dynamics of Cyclically Contracting Insect Flight Muscle. Nature 433:330-333R.

    Fischetti, S. Stepanov, G. Rosenbaum, R. Barrea, D. Gore, R. Heurich, E. Kondrashkina, S. Wang, Ke Zhang, T.C. Irving and G.B. Bunker. The BioCAT Undulator Beamline 18ID: A Facility for Biological Non-Crystalline Diffraction and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy at the Advanced Photon Source. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation,11:399-405.

    Tsuruta H, Irving TC. (2008) Experimental approaches for solution X-ray scattering and fiber diffraction. Curr Opin Struct Biol. 18(5):601-8

    Professional Society Memberships

    Editorial Board Service

    Professional Society Service

    • Biophysical Society
    • American Crystallographic Association
    • Sigma Xi

    Grants

    Community Service

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    Department of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences

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