Peptidomics and Proteomics Core Facility fast scanning high resolution mass spectrometer

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The Peptidomics and Proteomics Core at the Wellcome-MRC institute of Metabolic Science specialises in identifying and measuring peptides and small proteins in plasma and tissue samples. The analysis of peptides and proteins in blood is particularly challenging because the protein of interest might be present at very low levels, and there are a number of other proteins found at very high levels that act as a mask. Detecting the lower abundant peptides and proteins is very difficult without removing these high abundance proteins first. Our laboratory has developed specific methods to remove these high abundant proteins so that we can detect the smaller peptides and proteins present at much lower concentrations.A good example of this is the hormone insulin. This is present in blood at levels around a billion times lower than albumin, but the combination of our methods and our current mass spectrometer enable us to detect insulin at this low concentration despite the albumin background.Unfortunately this is the limit of the sensitivity of our existing instrument (50pg/mL), yet there are many other peptides that circulate at levels far lower than insulin, which we struggle to detect at all. Since we purchased our current mass spectrometer, there have been significant advances in technology, and the new instruments will enable us to be able to detect peptides and hormones present at lower concentrations in blood.The new instrument will be used for a range of studies, many focussed on identifying the causes and potential new treatments for metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer cachexia, and developing new diagnostic tests for tumours and intestinal diseases. The ability to purchase a newer, faster and more capable instrument will give the Peptidomics and Proteomics Core a vastly improved service for the next decade.