The project’s goal is to determine the three-dimensional structures of proteins with relevance to human health and place them on the public domain without restrictions. More specifically, the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) has a target list of approximately 2400 proteins implicated in diseases such as cancer, diabetes, inflammation and various genetic diseases, as well as proteins from pathogens, such as malaria. The availability of 3D structures, especially of complexes between proteins and small molecules, will greatly accelerate the development of new and improved drugs and result in other healthcare benefits.

As part of its mandate, the SGC has developed multiple strategies for the recombinant expression, purification, crystallization and biophysical and biochemical characterization of human and protozoan proteins. The SGC has decided to focus it’s science on three strategic areas:
• Create partnerships to generate selective probes for SGC targets (e.g. antibody and small molecule)
• Membrane protein structural biology
• Develop oncology program focused on the full complement of human kinases (kinome)

To facilitate screening for small molecules that bind and stabilize proteins, thereby promoting crystallization, the SGC has implemented two screening platforms based fluorimetry or static light scattering. Its small molecule libraries consist of bioactive compounds such as nucleotides, cofactors, substrates and inhibitors, as well as FDA-approved drugs and drug-like compounds.

As of April 2009, the SGC had produced over 800 human structures. The SGC also performed chemical screens on its target proteins to identify compounds that promote protein purification or crystallization, and deposited the results of these screens in the NCBI’s PubChem database. Beginning in 2008, the SGC embarked on a collaboration to provide protein capture reagents by generating antigens and partnering with groups that have the capabilities to produce the antibodies. In 2009, the group began a new partnership to develop high-quality chemical probes using biological expertise in academia and medicinal chemistry with the goal to place these probes into the public domain in order to enhance knowledge about human biology.