MRI: Acquisition of an Electrospray Mass Spectrometer for Chemical Research and Training

霍华德大学的Oladapo Bakare教授及其同事Charles Hosten和Lystranne Maynard将获得一台具有电喷雾电离（ESI）功能的精确质量飞行时间液相色谱质谱仪（TOF-LC/MS）。该奖项将加强各级的研究培训和教育，特别是在以下领域：(a)开发基于杯芳烃的荧光离子载体，用于对有害金属离子的选择性光学传感；(b)在分子识别中使用杯芳烃；(c)探索聚戊酸羟基丁酸酯共聚物的体内降解途径；(d)催化有机二酯和三酯磷酸盐的水解。(e)合成用于开发血红蛋白基氧载体的交联剂，(f)通过赖氨酸乙酰化探测钙网蛋白的功能，(g)单分子整流剂的表征，以及(h)用于抗癌药物开发的天然产物的化学转化。质谱仪（MS）是通过测量样品中分子组分电离后经质谱仪检测后的质量，来鉴定样品的化学成分。该仪器将液相色谱系统与质谱的质分析能力相结合；飞行时间（TOF）质量分析仪具有高灵敏度和质量精度，有助于分析和解释所得数据。在样品被引入光谱仪之前，液相色谱仪将任何混合物分离成其分子组分。然后这些成分流入质谱仪，在那里它们被电喷雾源电离。该仪器不仅将用于研究，而且还将用于实验室课程，以训练大量学生使用这一重要的分析技术。这些学生中有许多来自代表性不足的群体，因为这所大学是最重要的少数族裔服务机构之一。该仪器还将为美国天主教大学等邻近学院的学生和教师提供服务。

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, Professor Oladapo Bakare from Howard University and colleagues Charles Hosten and Lystranne Maynard will acquire an accurate-mass time-of-flight liquid-chromatograph mass spectrometer (TOF-LC/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) capabilities. The award will enhance research training and education at all levels, especially in areas such as (a) development of fluorogenic calixarene-based ionophores for selective optical sensing of hazardous metal ions, (b) use of calixarenes in molecular recognition, (c) probing the in vivo degradation pathway of polyhydroxybutyrate valerate (PHBV) copolymer, (d) catalysis of hydrolysis of organic di- and tri-ester phosphates, (e) synthesis of cross-linkers for the development of hemoglobin based oxygen carriers, (f) probing functions of calreticulin through lysine acetylation, (g) characterization of unimolecular rectifiers, and (h) chemical transformation of natural products for anticancer drug development.Mass spectrometers (MS) are used to identify the chemical composition of a sample by measuring the mass of the molecular constituents in the sample after they are ionized and detected by the mass spectrometer. This instrument couples a liquid chromatography system with the mass analysis ability of mass spectrometry; the time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzer has high sensitivity and mass accuracy to assist the analyses and interpretation of the resultant data. Before the sample is introduced into the spectrometer a liquid chromatograph separates any mixture into its molecular components. These components then flow into a mass spectrometer where they are ionized using an electrospay source. The instrumentation will be used not only for research but also in laboratory courses to train significant numbers of students in the use of this important analytical technique. Many of these students are from underrepresented groups since this university is one of the premiere minority-serving-institutions. The instrumentation will also serve students and faculty at neighboring colleges such as the Catholic University of America.