Purchase of a MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer for Research and Education

University Of Denver, Denver CO

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Denver will acquire a Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption Ionization - Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometer. This instrument will be used in a wide variety of research projects, including a) structural and thermodynamic properties responsible for the proper/improper protein folding; b) the mechanisms by which halogens cause degradation of polyamide membranes used in municipal water filtration systems; c) photocleavage of molecular scaffolds; and d) posttranslational processing and modification of analgesic neuropeptide hormones involved in the management of pain and stress by the brain. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry is the technique of choice for obtaining accurate molecular weights on molecules up to and over 300,000 daltons, with extremely high sensitivity. Use of a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer has therefore become a standard technique in studies involving biomolecules. At the University of Denver, this instrument will be used not only by graduate students in their research but also by undergraduates in laboratory courses where students work with professors in project-oriented teams that conduct experiments involve the purification and characterization of proteins and other macromolecules.