Acquisition of an HPLC-MS Instrument for Research and Training

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock will acquire a high performance liquid chromatograph with a photodiode-array UV-visible detector, followed by an electrospray ionization/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization with ion-trap mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS). This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including a) investigation of the chemico-biological interactions of plant polyphenols; b) investigation of the molecular mechanisms by which photosynthetic organisms acclimate to high light conditions that cause oxidative damage to cells; c) analysis of bile acid profiles of carnivore scats for the identification of mountain lion; d) biochemical activity of glutathione peroxidase homologs from Staphylococcus aureus; e) biodegradation of pesticides and herbicides by soil-borne micro-organisms; f) sequencing of proteins and peptides by mass spectrometry; and g) novel water-soluble fullerenes with enhanced anti-oxidative properties . High performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection is an extremely powerful technique used for the separation and analysis of complex mixtures. This instrument will substantially strengthen scientific research at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Philander Smith College, a primarily undergraduate institution with significant minority enrollment. These studies will have a solid impact in a number of areas, including environmental sciences and biochemistry.