MRI: Acquisition of a tandem (IT-TOF) mass spectrometer system for biological research and application

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0923027SanThe goal of this proposal is to establish a central mass spectrometry facility for biological research and education. To achieve this goal, a multidisciplinary research team has been assembled. Several of these team members share the same research interests and synergistic collaborations/interactions among the group already exist. The facility will support a wide range of research activities, spanning across five academic departments which include: Bioengineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and Chemistry. The facility will provide much needed quantitative and analytical instrumentation for a number of biological projects. They propose to equip the facility with an ion trap time of flight (2D-nano-LC-IT-TOF) mass spectrometer. In addition, the mass spectrometer will be interfaced with a 2-D nano-LC system to further enhance their analytical capability. The instrumentation requested in this proposal will provide the necessary quantitative and analytical tools for many projects at the interface of biology and chemistry or engineering. These projects will result in a better understanding of biological properties and functions, better design of biocatalysts for the synthesis of bioproducts, and better strategies for bioremediation. In addition, the facility will also serve as an effective vehicle to foster and strengthen multidisciplinary interactions and generate new ideas and collaborative projects. The projects will provide training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students and postdoctoral research associates. Students participating in these types of research projects will benefit from highly interdisciplinary training in biochemical and metabolic engineering, biosystems engineering, biochemistry and molecular biology. In addition, new laboratory modules, which will be integrated into existing courses, will be developed. As in the past, the laboratories will continue to provide training opportunities for many women and minority graduate, undergraduate and high school students.