MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a MALDI-TOF/TOF Mass Spectrometer for Research and Training at College of Charleston

该奖项由重大研究仪器计划和化学研究仪器计划支持。来自查尔斯顿学院的Jay Forsythe、Michael Giuliano、Brooke Van Horn、Wendy Cory和Yu Gong教授将获得一台基质辅助激光解吸/电离串联飞行时间(MALDI-TOF/TOF)质谱仪。质谱学是检测和表征样品混合物中化学物种的一种强有力的技术。具体地说，MALDI-TOF/TOF质谱仪非常适合分析多种类型的分子--生物聚合物、合成聚合物/塑料、药品、染料--并提供有关其结构组成的基本信息。这一工具将使新的研究方向成为可能，鼓励新的合作，不仅为查尔斯顿学院多样化的本科生和研究人员群体，而且也为南卡罗来纳州低地地区的学生和研究人员提供研究培训。这一奖项预计将促进整个查尔斯顿学院和其他地区的研究和教育。MALDI-TOF质谱学包括将化学物种转化为气相离子，这些离子在高真空下通过无场区域加速。然后从飞行时间获得离子质量电荷比(m/z)值。该仪器将在反射器飞行时间模式下提供大于10,000的分辨率(全宽，半高)和低ppm的质量精度；这些能力对于药物在环境中的命运(S)、生物相容性材料以及多肽的结构、功能和进化等各种研究项目至关重要。在飞行时间/飞行时间采集模式中，选择飞行中的离子并将其碎裂以进行结构分析。与中性气体(如Ar)的碰撞提高了碎裂效率，从而提高了结构细节的水平。该奖项的影响是深远的，包括但不限于通过路易斯·斯托克斯少数群体参与联盟(LS-AMP)计划增加未被充分代表的人对研究的参与，通过提供使用现代仪器的实践培训，以及该地区其他没有或有限质谱学资源的机构的机会，更好地为学生在临床、工业或研发实验室的未来职业生涯做准备。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is supported by the Major Research Instrumentation Program and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Program. Professors Jay Forsythe, Michael Giuliano, Brooke Van Horn, Wendy Cory, and Yu Gong from College of Charleston will acquire a matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization – tandem time of flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) mass spectrometer. Mass spectrometry is a powerful technique to detect and characterize chemical species in sample mixtures. Specifically, MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry is well suited for analyzing molecules of numerous types – biological polymers, synthetic polymers / plastics, pharmaceuticals, dyes – and to provide essential information on their structural composition. This instrument will enable new research directions, encourage new collaborations, and boost research training not only for a diverse undergraduate student and researcher population at the College of Charleston but also for students and researchers across the Lowcountry region of South Carolina.This award is expected to enhance research and education throughout College of Charleston and beyond. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry involves the conversion of chemical species to gas-phase ions that are accelerated through a field-free region under high vacuum. Ion mass-to-charge (m/z) values are then obtained from flight times. The instrument will provide greater than 10,000 resolving power (full width, half maximum) and low-ppm mass accuracy in reflector TOF mode; these capabilities are critical for a variety of research projects such as the fate(s) of pharmaceuticals in the environment, biocompatible materials, and the structure, function, and evolution of polypeptides. In TOF/TOF acquisition mode, ions in flight are selected and fragmented for structural analysis. Collisions with neutral gas such as argon increase the efficiency of fragmentation and, thus, the level of structural detail. Impacts of this award are far-reaching and include but are not limited to increasing participation of underrepresented persons in research through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LS-AMP) program, better preparing students for future careers in clinical, industrial, or R&D labs by providing hands-on training with modern instrumentation, and access for other institutions in the region with no or limited mass spectrometry resources.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.