Acquisition of A Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometer

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Multiuser program (CRIF:MU), the Chemistry Department at the University of Rochester will acquire a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer for the study of large molecules such as biopolymers, regular polymers and polymer-like materials. The acquisition will be used in a variety of research studies including: a) the study of conformational changes and dynamics of heme proteins; b) exploration of unsaturated, reactive catalytic complexes of iron; c) understanding the principles of molecular recognition that give rise to the structure and function of proteins; d) investigations of the photophysical properties of novel semiconductor nanometer scale materials; e) mechanistic studies of the secondary structure of nucleic acids leading to selective adsorption on surfaces; f) investigations to rapidly predict RNA structure from sequence information; g) studies to obtain molecular mass information on non-volatile ligands to construct natural substances such as apoptolidin and nakadomarin A.MALDI-TOF-mass spectrometry is the technique of choice for obtaining accurate molecular weights on very large molecules, with extremely high sensitivity. Use of a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer has therefore become a standard technique, especially in studies involving biomolecules and polymers. This research will have a significant impact in a number of areas, especially chemistry and biochemistry. This instrument will be an integral part of teaching as well as research, including use by undergraduate and high school teachers who participate in summer research programs.