Acquisition of a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY

Investigators

Abstract

With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program, the Department of Chemistry at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will acquire a MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including a) polymer synthesis using novel polymerization processes; b) de novo design of synthetic water-soluble and membrane-soluble proteins; c) preparation of polymers using photo- and electron beam initiated polymerizations; d) studies on the origin of life and formation of RNA from prebiotic molecules; and e) protein surface studies. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique used to probe intimate structural details and to obtain the molecular compositions of a vast array of organic, bioorganic, and organometallic molecules. The results from these studies will have an impact in a number of areas including materials chemistry, polymer processing and biology.