Purchase of an ESI/APCI Mass Spectrometer

在主要研究仪器(MRI)计划的支持下，塔夫茨大学化学系将购买一台带有大气压化学电离(APCI)源的电喷雾电离(ESI)质谱仪。该设备将加强一些领域的研究，包括a)与生物信号转导相关的磷酸化肌醇低聚糖的化学合成；b)界面化学和一级序列对纤维蛋白中蛋白质构象、自组装和中间相形成的影响的研究；c)多肽和蛋白质的自组装和从头设计；基于过渡金属络合物的选择性、高效可切换的受体、试剂和催化剂的设计；以及e)细丝的组装和核酶的选择。质谱仪(MS)是一种用于探测大量有机、生物有机和有机金属分子的内部结构细节和获得其分子组成的技术。它是发展最快、使用最广泛的分析仪器技术之一。正因为如此，让本科生和研究生接触这项技术是至关重要的。这些研究将在许多领域产生影响，特别是生物化学。

With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the Department of Chemistry at Tufts University will purchase an electrospray ionization (ESI) Mass Spectrometer with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including a) chemical synthesis of phosphorylated inositol-containing oligosaccharides relevant to biological signal transduction; b) studies on the influence of interfacial chemistry and primary sequence on protein conformation, self-assembly, and mesophase formation in fibrous proteins; c) self-assembly and de novo design of peptides and proteins; the design of selective, efficient switchable receptors, reagents and catalysts based on transition metal complexes; and e) the assembly of filaments and ribozyme selection. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique used to probe intimate structural details and to obtain the molecular compositions of a vast array of organic, bioorganic, and organometallic molecules. It is one of the fastest growing and most widely used analytical instrumentation techniques. Because of this, it is critically important for undergraduate and graduate students to be exposed to the technique. These studies will have an impact in a number of areas, especially biochemistry.