International Collaboration in Chemistry: Novel Instumentation for Modern Elemental Speciation Analysis

化学系的分析和表面化学项目支持印第安纳大学的Gary Hieftje教授和其合作者Steven Ray在化学领域的国际合作，参与合作的有莱布尼茨固体与材料研究所的Volker Hoffmann教授和Westfälische Wilhelms-University Buscher教授，他们设计并表征了一种新型仪器，可以直接从凝胶电泳(GE)分离中确定金属-蛋白质的特征。该仪器采用脉冲辉光放电，通过氩离子轰击GE平板上含有蛋白质的斑点来挥发分析物。挥发的蛋白质和相关金属被送入发光中的能量区，在那里它们被雾化，并发出具有每种元素特有波长的光。然后，分析发射的光能够识别存在的每种元素的身份和浓度，甚至蛋白质本身的身份和浓度。通过使用成像光谱仪，这种能力变得更有效率，它允许同时检查GE平板上所有含有蛋白质的斑点。这一国际合作研究项目由NSF和德国科学基金会(DFG)共同支持。研究的更广泛影响有几种形式。研究生和本科生都参与仪器的开发和应用。特别努力将代表人数不足的群体包括在内。由于拟议的研究本质上是多学科的，与生物科学研究人员的合作对成功至关重要。同样，参与拟议研究的学生将有机会参观合作者在德国的实验室，在那里他们将接触到一个由国际科学家和访客组成的小组。这些学生还将参加国际会议，在那里他们的发现将被展示。最后，由于GE是生化分析的基本工具，检测技术的重大进步将产生广泛的影响。

The Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry supports work of Prof. Gary Hieftje and collaborator Steven Ray at Indiana University for an International Collaboration in Chemistry involving Prof. Volker Hoffmann at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research and Prof. Wolfgang Buscher at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster to devise and characterize a novel instrument that can determine metal-protein characteristics directly from a gel electrophoresis (GE) separation. The instrument employs a pulsed glow discharge, which volatilizes analytes by means of argon-ion bombardment of the protein-containing spots on a GE plate. The volatilized proteins and associated metals are lofted into an energetic region within the glow, where they are atomized and emit light with wavelengths characteristic of each element present. Analyzing the emitted light then enables the identification of the identity and concentration of each element present, and indeed of the proteins themselves. This capability is made more efficient through use of an imaging spectrometer, which permits all the protein-containing spots on a GE plate to be examined simultaneously. This international collaborative research project is supported jointly by NSF and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).The broader impacts of the research come in several forms. Both graduate and undergraduate students participate in instrument development and application. Special efforts are made to include underrepresented groups. Because the proposed studies are inherently multidisciplinary, collaboration with investigators in the biological sciences is important to success. Similarly, students involved in the proposed studies will have the opportunity to visit the laboratories of collaborators in Germany, where they will be exposed to an international group of scientists and visitors. The students will also attend international conferences where their findings will be presented. Finally, because GE is a fundamental tool of biochemical analysis, significant advances in detection technology will have wide-ranging impact.