Purchase of a Liquid Chromatograph-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

凭借化学研究仪器和设施：部门多用户仪器采购计划(CRIF：MU)的这一奖项，加州理工学院化学和化学工程系将获得一套液相色谱仪-飞行时间质谱仪(LC-TOF)系统。将利用新的LC-TOF方法进行的众多项目的代表如下：a)鉴定用定向进化方法产生的新型细胞色素P450文库的代谢物；b)鉴定和测定气溶胶低聚物的组成，目的是了解其对健康和气候的全球影响；c)鉴定土星最大卫星土卫六大气的化学组成；d)引导有机合成，其中通过新的、更有效的途径合成复杂的生物活性分子；e)鉴定和测定植物中具有有趣药理性质的新的生物活性分子。高效液相色谱-质谱法是一种用于复杂混合物的分离和分析的非常强大的技术。除了为一系列激动人心的科学问题提供分析支持外，新的LC-TOF还将发挥更重要的教育作用。首先是加强研究生和博士后目前的教育和研究活动，他们将接受质谱学培训，并随时可以使用这一新的LC-TOF来实施他们的研究。其次，也是更重要的是，加强参加暑期本科生研究奖学金和少数民族本科生研究奖学金项目的本科生的学习经历。这些计划资助有才华的本科生在加州理工大学校园的一个研究实验室工作一个夏天，那些项目需要质谱学的人将在这个设施接受培训和实践经验。

With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Departmental Multiuser Instrument Acquisition (CRIF:MU) Program, the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology will acquire a liquid chromatograph-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF) system. Representatives from the numerous projects that would take advantage of the new LC-TOF are the following: a) identification of the metabolites of libraries of novel cytochromes P450 that are generated by methods of directed evolution; b) identification and quantification of the oligomeric components of aerosols with the aim of understanding their global impact on health and climate; c) identification of the chemical composition of the atmosphere of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn; d) guided organic synthesis where complex bioactive molecules are synthesized by novel, and more efficient pathways; and e) identification and quantification of new bioactive molecules in plants with interesting pharmacological properties. Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection is an extremely powerful technique used for the separation and analysis of complex mixtures. In addition to providing analytical support for a broad range of exciting scientific problems, the new LC-TOF will play a more important educational role. First is the enhancement of the current educational and research activities of the graduate students and post-docs who will receive mass spectrometric training and gain ready access to this new LC-TOF to implement their research. Second and more importantly, is the enhancement of the learning experiences of the undergraduates who participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and Minority Undergraduate Research Fellowship programs. These programs sponsor talented undergraduates to spend a summer working in a research lab on the Caltech campus, and those whose projects require mass spectroscopy will receive training and hands-on experience at this facility.