MRI: Acquisition of an LCMS-TOF Mass Spectrometer for Interdisciplinary Research

阿姆斯特朗大西洋州立大学化学系将获得一个配备飞行时间质谱仪（LCMS-TOF）系统的液相色谱仪，以支持阿姆斯特朗大西洋州立大学（AASU）和萨凡纳州立大学（SSU）的教师和本科生研究人员的研究活动。该仪器将满足多种研究需求，包括：烘焙酵母还原酶文库的筛选，这些还原酶的系统突变研究，当地湿地腐植酸和黄腐酸的研究，含铜蛋白及其复合物与生物分子的相互作用，用于肥胖治疗的苯并杂氮酮的检测，水生掠食性和猎物报警信号的分析，以及葡萄、玫瑰和香蕉的次生代谢物的检测。质谱法（MS）是通过测量样品中分子组分电离后经质谱仪检测后的质量，来鉴定样品的化学成分并确定其纯度的方法。色谱法是一种先于质谱分析的分离技术。它将混合物分离成几种化学成分，然后用质谱仪进行分析。这些是广泛使用的分析技术，用于鉴定和定量样品的化学成分。对大学生进行使用现代仪器的技术训练是很重要的。除了在他们的研究项目中应用外，学生还将在两个高级化学课程中使用该仪器，并为生物系的实验室设计练习。其他地区机构的教员也可以使用光谱仪。

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, the Chemistry Department at Armstrong Atlantic State University will acquire a liquid chromatograph equipped with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LCMS-TOF) system to support the research activities of the faculty and their undergraduate student researchers at Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) and Savannah State University (SSU). A variety of research needs will be met by the acquisition of this instrument including: screening of a bakers' yeast reductase library, the investigation of systematic mutations of these reductases, the study of humic and fulvic acids from local wetlands, interactions of copper-containing proteins and complexes with biological molecules, the detection of benzoxazinones used for obesity treatment, the analysis of aquatic predatory and prey alarm cues, and the detection of secondary metabolites from grape, rose and banana.Mass spectrometry (MS) is used to identify the chemical composition of a sample and determine its purity by measuring the mass of the molecular constituents in the sample after they are ionized and detected by the mass spectrometer. Chromatography is an isolation technique that precedes the mass spectrometry analysis. It separates a mixture into its several constituent chemicals which are then analyzed by the mass spectrometer. These are widely used analytical techniques to identify and quantify the chemical composition of a sample. It is important for undergraduate students to be trained in the technique using modern instrumentation. In addition to applications in their research projects, students will use the instrumentation in two upper-level chemistry courses and exercises will be designed for labs in the biology department. Faculty at other area institutions will have access to the spectrometer.