A Thermo Q Exactive UHMR Instrument for Native Mass Spectrometry

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

Proposed here is the purchase of a Q Exactive UHMR quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer for native mass spectrometry (nMS) analyses. The primary purpose of this new instrument will be to provide state-of-the-art mass range, mass resolution and sensitivity for nMS analysis to enhance research programs in microbiology, immunology, cancer, digestive disease, and vision research. More specifically, the UHMR instrument will be used to interrogate the structures of native protein complexes, to screen for protein-ligand interactions, to identify membrane protein-lipid interactions, and to provide spatially-resolved nMS data from tissue samples. The requested instrument will reside in the Proteomics Core of the Mass Spectrometry Research Center at Vanderbilt University. The UHMR technology will provide a new capability to the Vanderbilt user group and will significantly enhance our capabilities in structural biology. Further, it will facilitate the establishment of a nMS core service that will be supported as a Community Engagement activity by the proposed National Center for Biomedical Technology Development and Dissemination at Ohio State University. The requested instrument will support a large number of NIH funded investigators including eight major user projects and seven minor user projects with ongoing clinical and/or translational protein structure projects. Furthermore, investigators from the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, the Vanderbilt Diabetes Center, the Digestive Disease Center, the Vision Research Center, the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center and the Vanderbilt Center for Structural Biology will benefit from the new capabilities. The instrument will be managed by the Core Associate Director who will be responsible for instrument oversight and experimental design planning with users as well as a staff scientist responsible for instrument QA/QC as well as sample preparation and data acquisition. Operational funds will be generated from the Core’s standard fee schedule as established by the Vanderbilt Office of Research and as approved by the Core’s oversight committee. In addition, an instrument advisory panel will be established and consist of major users, a minor user, a non-user proteomics expert, and a member of the institution’s Core administration.