Ion mobility mass spectrometer for proteomics facility

质谱学是一种强大的分析方法，用于从大量材料中鉴定和量化化合物，例如，鉴定参与土壤废物降解的酶，或了解细胞如何一分为二。质谱仪可以用于任何类型的分子，这些分子可以携带正电荷或负电荷，并且在高真空下在气相中稳定。在华威大学的蛋白质组学研究技术平台中，我们使用质谱学来研究蛋白质，我们通常将蛋白质分解成称为多肽的小片段，以便高通量、大规模分析成为可能。蛋白质在我们的身体中提供了许多重要的功能，从制造胶原蛋白结构到作为酶来消化我们的食物。在这项提议中，我们要求一种新型的质谱仪，它可以像所有质谱仪一样，根据带电分子(离子)的形状(真正的交叉碰撞维度)来分离带电分子(离子)，并通过质量和电荷来分离离子。这种被称为离子迁移率的额外能力将为我们提供一种非常灵活和令人兴奋的仪器，非常适合测量和定量液体溶液中的多肽。离子迁移率意味着我们能够区分质量相同但氨基酸顺序不同的非常相似的多肽，比如多肽和PPEETID。与我们目前的仪器相比，这将是一个巨大的改进，在目前的仪器中，我们有时会看到证据表明，我们意外地同时碎裂了两个不同的多肽，这使得结果(扫描)更难解释。如果得到资助，我们将通过破译蛋白质信号如何帮助植物防御病原体来优先考虑BBSRC科学领域的研究人员的时间，例如应对食品安全方面的挑战。或者通过了解生命如何工作的基本挑战，例如，在发现酵母细胞如何使用收缩环分裂为两个细胞的分子细节方面。我们已经开发了创新的工具来帮助教授学生和向公众解释质谱学。例如，我们的动画和《乒乓球质谱仪》在开放日非常受欢迎，可以在YouTube上找到。如果获得资金，我们将创造新的工具来展示离子的流动性，并邀请您在2021年的一个开放日访问我们。

Mass spectrometry is a powerful analytical method that is used to identify and quantify compounds from a huge variety of materials, for example, identify enzymes engaged with degradation of waste in soil, or to understand how a cell can divide into two. Mass spectrometry can be used on any type of molecule that can carry a positive or negative charge and is stable in the gas phase at high vacuum. In the Proteomics Research Technology Platform at the University of Warwick we use mass spectrometry to study proteins, which we usually break into small pieces called peptides to make high throughput, large-scale analysis feasible. Proteins provide many vital functions in our bodies from making structures like collagen to working as enzymes to digest our food. In this proposal, we request a new type of mass spectrometer that can separate charged molecules (ions) by their 'shape' (really cross-collisional dimension) as well as separating ions by mass and charge, as all mass spectrometers do. This extra ability, called ion-mobility, would provide us with a very flexible and exciting instrument, ideal for measuring and quantifying peptides from liquid solutions. Ion mobility means that we would be able to distinguish between very similar peptides that have the same mass, but have, for example, a different order of amino acids, like PEPTIDE and PPEETID. This would be a great improvement over our current instrumentation, where we sometimes see evidence that we have accidently fragmented two different peptides at the same time, which makes the result (the scan) more difficult to interpret. If funded, we would prioritise time for researchers in BBSRC science areas, such as meeting challenges in Food Security, by deciphering how protein signalling helps plants defend themselves against pathogens. Or by understanding fundamental challenges in how life works, for example in discovering the molecular details of how a yeast cell divides into two using a contractile ring. We have already developed innovative tools to help teach students and explain mass spectrometry to the public. For example, our animation and "ping-pong ball mass spectrometer" are very popular at open days and can be found on youtube. If funded, we would create new tools to demonstrate ion mobility and invite you to visit us on one of our open days in 2021.