MRI: Acquisition of an Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer (MS) to Accelerate Studies on Small Molecules and Broaden MS Use at UCSC

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) and support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program (CRIF), Professor Phillip Crews from the University of California Santa Cruz and colleagues Rebecca Braslau, Theodore Holman, Roger Linington and Scott Lokey will acquire an orbitrap mass spectrometer. In general, mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the key analytical methods used to identify and characterize small quantities of chemical species embedded in complex matrices. In a typical experiment, the components flow into a mass spectrometer where they are ionized into the parent ion and its fragment ions and their masses are measured. This highly sensitive technique allows detection and determination of the structure of molecules in a complex mixture. In an orbitrap instrument there an outer section that acts as an electrode and a coaxial inner spindle-like electrode that traps ions in an orbital motion around the inner electrode. An image of the current is produced and converted to a mass spectrum using mathematical (Fourier transform) methods. This spectrometer will also be used in curricular activities involving students, many of whom are from underrepresented groups.The proposal is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) studying metabolites and natural product identification; (b) metabolomics; (c) lipidomics; and (d) organic polymer profiling.