Acquisition of a MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer for Analysis of the Proteome of the Model Plant, Arabidopsis Thaliana

申请资金用于购买MALDI-TOF（基质辅助激光解吸飞行时间）质谱仪，该质谱仪将作为威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校植物蛋白质组学领域研究的多用户设备运行。具体来说，这台仪器将被十几个建立良好的联邦资助的校园实验室使用，在模式高等植物拟南芥中进行基因组研究。质谱仪将作为西澳大学生物技术中心现有的肽质谱分析设备的一部分运行。该仪器将对校园植物基因组学的基础研究产生重大影响，使我们能够快速确定蛋白质和肽的精确分子量，以及它们的修饰形式，并促进正在进行的植物基因功能鉴定研究。拟南芥基因组测序项目已经完成了大约50%，整个100兆碱基基因组预计将在未来两年内完成。完整序列的知识使我们能够以非常省时和资源高效的方式利用质谱仪，并为探索植物生长和发育的分子基础开辟了新的途径。

Funds are requested to purchase a MALDI-TOF (matrix assisted laser desorption-time of flight) mass spectrometer, that will be operated as a multi-user facility for research at UW-Madison in the area of plant proteomics. Specifically, this instrument will be used by a dozen well established federally funded laboratories on campus performing genomic research in the model higher plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. The mass spectrometer will be operated as part of the UW Biotechnology Center's existing peptide mass spectrometry facility. This instrument will have a dramatic impact on campus basic research in plant genomics, in allowing us to rapidly identify the precise molecular weight of proteins and peptides, as well as their modified forms, and facilitate ongoing studies in the identification of plant gene function. The Arabidopsis genome sequencing project is ca. 50% completed already, and the entire 100 Megabase genome is expected to be completed within the follow two years. Knowledge of the complete sequence allows us to utilize the mass spectrometer in a very time and resource efficient manner and opens new avenues for exploring the molecular basis for plant growth and development.