PEPTIDE ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS SYSTEM (PASS)

多肽作为生物过程探针的应用正处于快速发展阶段。这部分是因为肽提供的结构和功能多样性的潜力，部分是因为序列信息的可用性增加，为针对特定细胞靶点的肽探针提供了新的“线索”。化学合成是制备大量含有非天然氨基酸的肽的首选方法，包括那些用光可切割的笼型片段、光交联剂、光谱探针或改变的主链特征修饰的肽。现代化学合成和分析方法允许这些结构以一种高效、快速和成本有效的方式引入肽和蛋白质序列的特定位置，这是对分子生物学方法的补充。威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的研究人员正在积极开发新的基于肽的试剂，用于探测蛋白质结构/功能和细胞生理学。随着早期的成功，人们对开发潜力产生了兴趣，磋商已发展为合作。目前，有一个由六名研究人员组成的核心小组，他们致力于肽的设计、合成和表征。核心小组还为其他使用肽方法学但没有肽探针开发的专业知识或设施或刚刚开始探索其用途的研究人员生成肽。这个团体目前大约有12人。大多数（如果不是全部的话）研究人员都得到了NIH的支持。核心小组和威斯康星大学生物技术中心认识到，一个校园内的多肽设施即使没有超过其能力，也已经得到了满足，因此正在共同努力开发一个具有增强多肽合成和分析能力的设施。新设施的基石将是肽分析和合成系统（PASS）。具体来说，PAS将包括一个先锋肽合成仪，一个16柱多肽合成配件，工作站软件套件和一个BioCAD/SPRINT灌注色谱系统。PASS将大大加快肽技术的发现步伐，为从事健康相关研究的越来越多的研究人员带来直接和长期的好处。

Use of peptides as probes of biological processes is on the threshold of a rapid growth phase. This is in part because of the potential for diversity of structure and function afforded by peptides and in part because of the increasing availability of sequence information that provides new 'leads' for peptide probes directed at specific cellular targets. Chemical synthesis is the preferred approach for preparing large quantities of peptides-containing unnatural amino acids, including those modified with photocleavable cage moieties, photo-cross-linkers, spectroscopic probes or altered backbone features. Modern chemical methods of synthesis and analysis permit these structures to be introduced at defined locations in peptide and protein sequences in an efficient, rapid and-cost effective manner that complements molecular biological approaches. University of Wisconsin-Madison investigators are active in developing novel peptide based regents for probing protein structure/function and cellular physiology. With early success comes interest in exploiting the potential and consultations have developed into collaborations. Currently, there is a core group of a half dozen investigators who have made a major commitment to peptide design, synthesis and characterization. The core group also generates peptides for other investigators who employ peptide methodology but do not have the expertise or facilities for peptide probe development, or who are just beginning to explore their use. This group presently numbers about a dozen. Most, if not all of the investigators are NIH supported. Recognizing that the one campus peptide facility has received, if not surpassed it s capacity, the core group and the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology enter are combining efforts to develop a facility with enhanced peptide synthesis and analysis capability. The cornerstone of the new facility will be the Peptide Analysis and Synthesis System (PASS). Specifically, PAS will include a Pioneer Peptide Synthesizer, a 16 column Multiple Peptide Synthesis Accessory, Workstation Software Kit, and a BioCAD/SPRINT Perfusion Chromatography System. PASS will greatly accelerate the pace of discovery in peptide technologies with immediate and long-lasting benefits to an expanding group of investigators engaged in health related research.