MRI: Acquisition of a MALDI-ToF/ToF-MS Instrument for Chemical and Biological Research

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation program (MRI) and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation program (CRIF), the University of Wyoming will acquire a time of flight mass spectrometer with matrix assisted laser desorption ionization technology and a liquid chromatograph (MALDI-TOF-LCMS). 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. A laser impinging on the inert matrix embedded with the sample, vaporizes and ionizes the sample. The ions pass into the mass spectrometer where the masses of the parent ion and its fragment ions are measured. This highly sensitive technique allows identification and determination of the structure of molecules in a complex mixture. An instrument with a liquid chromatograph provides additional identification power by separating mixtures of compounds before they are mass analyzed. The acquisition will strengthen the research infrastructure at the University and regional area. High school, undergraduate and graduate students from rural areas, including Native Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, women, and first-generation college students in Wyoming and surrounding Frontier states will benefit from training with this modern analytical technique. The proposal is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) developing analytical methodologies for the rapid and precise analysis of biological and synthetic samples; (b) deciphering of protein folding dynamics and anti-freeze protein function; (c) developing photocatalytic organic materials; (d) developing glycosylated proteins; (e) elucidating cell messaging pathways; (f) studying fundamentals of evolutionary cell biology; and (g) developing clean energy sources.