Japan JSPS Program: Use of Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry for Assessing the State of Preservation of Proteinaceous Materials

9600262贝克尔该奖项支持玛丽·贝克尔博士在日本东京国立文化财产研究所为玛丽·贝克尔博士提供为期12个月的日本科学促进会博士后奖学金。Becker博士将与该研究所保护科学部的高级研究员Chie Sano博士合作开展一项研究项目，题为“利用裂解气相色谱-质谱法评估蛋白质类物质的保存状况”。这项拟议的研究将开发对化学变化敏感的分析技术，然后再将其表现为博物馆物品的物理变化。用气相色谱(GC)与质谱仪(MS)联用，结合初始热裂解(Py)步骤，研究了尼龙6，6的热裂解产物的浓度和数量随热处理的变化。由于随着蚕丝的变质，会形成分子量分布的可溶碎片，因此这项技术(Py-GC-MS)有望用于监测蚕丝老化过程中的化学变化。为了确定自然降解和热解过程中发生的复杂性质，这项研究将检查丝绸中自然降解蛋白质碎片模式的变化是否可以指示保存状态。对陈年丝绸的系统研究不仅可以提供有关丝绸保存状况的信息，还将确定这项技术作为对文物中发现的蛋白质材料进行常规分析的一种策略的有用性。***

9600262 Becker This award supports a 12 month Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Dr. Mary Becker at the Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties, Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Becker will work with Dr. Chie Sano, senior researcher in the Conservation Science Department ast the Institute, on a research project entitled, "The Use of Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry for Assessing the State of the Preservation of Proteinaceous Materials". The proposed research will develop analytical techniques sensitive to chemical alterations prior to their manifestation as physical changes in museum objects. A gas chromatograph (GC) interfaced with a mass spectrometry (MS) and combined with an initial pyrolysis (Py) step will be used to reveal the concentrations and number of pyrolysis products of Nylon 6,6 change as a function of heat treatment. Since soluble fragments with a distribution of molecular weights are formed as silk deteriorates, it is anticipated that this technique (Py-GC-MS) will be useful in monitoring the chemical alterations as a function of aging. Ascertaining the complex nature of natural degradation and that which occurs during pyrolysis, the research will examine if changes in the fragmentation patterns of naturally degraded proteins in silk can indicate the state of preservation. A systematic study of aged silks could not only supply information on the state of preservation of silk but will also determine the usefulness of this technique as a strategy for routine analysis of proteinaceous materials found in cultural property objects. ***