Acquisition of a Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometer and Development of New Techniques for Biopolymer Analysis

质谱法已成为测量肽和蛋白质分子量以及确定其初级结构的最有力工具之一。因此，质谱法在生物技术、生物化学和生物学研究中具有核心重要性。傅里叶变换质谱法正在成为分析生物化合物的首要高性能质谱仪。该提案寻求资金，以推进用于肽和蛋白质分析的傅里叶变换质谱的几种高性能功能的开发，并使这些功能易于在商用质谱仪中使用。该项目将由P.I.和商用傅里叶变换质谱仪制造商布鲁克仪器公司共同努力。申请的资金将用于从布鲁克仪器公司购买一台傅立叶变换质谱仪。硬件、软件和技术开发将由P.I.和布鲁克仪器公司共同进行。除了开发工作之外，该仪器还将用于支持金属酶研究中心成员的研究和培训计划，该中心是美国国家科学基金会支持的乔治亚大学研究培训小组。

Mass spectrometry has become one of the most powerful tools for measuring molecular weights of peptides and proteins, and for determining their primary structures. Thus mass spectrometry is of central importance to biotechnology, biochemistry, and biological research. Fourier transform mass spectrometry is emerging as the premier high- performance mass spectrometer for the analysis of biological compounds. This proposal seeks funding to advance the development of several high-performance capabilities of Fourier transform mass spectrometry for peptide and protein analysis, and to make these readily available in a commercial mass spectrometer. This project will be a joint effort between the P.I. and Bruker Instruments, Inc., a manufacturer of a commercial Fourier transform mass spectrometer. The requested funds will be used to purchase a Fourier transform mass spectrometer from Bruker Instruments. Hardware, software, and technique developments will be pursued jointly by the P.I. and Bruker Instruments. In addition to the development efforts, this instrument will also be used to support the research and training programs of members of the Center for Metalloenzyme Studies, a NSF supported Research Training Group at the University of Georgia.