Mass Spectrometry-based Methods to Study Macromolecular Conformations and Interactions in Biophysics and Nanotechnology

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Profs. Igor Kaltashov and Stephen Eyles at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst are supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program to investigate the structure, assembly, and dynamic properties of biomolecules and synthetic polymers using electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. Their studies probe the charge states exhibited in ESI mass spectra under carefully controlled experimental conditions to evaluate solution phase conformations. The goal is to develop a powerful tool for solving a diverse set of problems in biophysics and nanotechnology. Of particular interest are the molecular mechanisms of blood clotting modulated by the oligosaccharide heparin, the conformational transitions of intrinsically disordered proteins that can lead to disease states, and understanding how proteins conjugated to synthetic polymers - a rapidly expanding field in therapeutic drug development - interact with their biological targets.Broader impacts of the research stem from the development of a comprehensive experimental strategy for probing macromolecular conformation and dynamics in complex multi-component systems - capability urgently needed in diverse fields ranging from biophysics to nanomedicine. In pursuing these aims, a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students engages in interdisciplinary scientific discovery involving high end mass spectrometry instrumentation, providing a valuable training arena to young scientists.