CORE--PROTEIN MICROCHEMISTRY/MASS SPECTROMETRY FACILITY

Wistar Institute, Philadelphia PA

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Abstract

Description: The Protein Microchemistry Laboratory was established in 1986 when Dr. David Speicher joined The Wistar Institute. Its services have evolved from simple amino acid analysis and N-terminal sequencing to more sophisticated analyses involving subpicomole protein and peptide sequencing, high throughput protein purification, and mass spectrometry. Currently, a full range of services for protein isolation and primary structural determination is available. New equipment in the facility, including updated high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems, mass spectrometer, and a protein sequencer, purchased since the last review cost about $625,000, of which The Wistar Institute provided $200,000 and the rest was from NIH equipment grants and industrial sources. The following additional equipment is available in the facility: Speedvac, sonicator, 1D and 2D gel apparatus, electroblotting units, power supplies, HP 1090M HPLC with autoinjector for amino acid analysis, Beckman System Gold HPLC for routine microbore HPLC peptide mapping, Isco fraction collector with peak detector, and general laboratory equipment. The Protein Microchemistry/Mass Spectrometry facility is located in a 500 square foot area that was renovated in 1987 and is adjacent to Dr. Speicher's research laboratory. All Cancer Center investigators have access to the facility on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is an oversight committee composed of the five most frequent users. Twenty-one Cancer Center investigators have used the facility in the past five years, including some no longer at the Institute. The major use was by 15 research projects, but no data are provided about how many of these projects were funded by peer- reviewed grants. All of these users appear to be or have been Cancer Center members. In addition, 18 other investigators used the facility on a more limited basis, which included either routine analyses or consultations. Approximately 50 percent of the total facility effort is dedicated to consultation and/or collaboration, for which there is no charge. The reported percent use by peer-reviewed projects was 77 percent and 23 percent was by non-peer-reviewed projects. Dr. Speicher's own projects utilized 39.4 percent of the total usage of the facility.