PEPTIDE ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS SYSTEM (PASS)

使用肽作为生物过程的探针正处于快速增长阶段的门槛。这部分是因为肽提供的结构和功能多样性的潜力，部分是因为序列信息的可用性增加，为针对特定细胞靶点的肽探针提供了新的“线索”。化学合成是制备大量含有肽的非天然氨基酸的优选方法，所述非天然氨基酸包括用可光裂解的笼部分、光交联剂、光谱探针或改变的骨架特征修饰的那些。合成和分析的现代化学方法允许以有效、快速和成本有效的方式将这些结构引入肽和蛋白质序列中的限定位置，该方式补充了分子生物学方法。威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的研究人员积极开发新型肽基试剂，用于探测蛋白质结构/功能和细胞生理学。随着早期的成功，人们对开发潜力产生了兴趣，协商已经发展成为合作。目前，有一个由六名研究人员组成的核心小组，他们对肽的设计、合成和表征做出了重大承诺。核心小组还为其他研究人员生成肽，这些研究人员采用肽方法学，但不具备肽探针开发的专业知识或设施，或者刚刚开始探索其用途。这一群体目前约有12人。大多数，如果不是所有的研究人员都得到了NIH的支持。认识到一个校园肽设施已经收到，如果没有超过它的能力，核心小组和威斯康星州生物技术进入大学正在共同努力，开发一个设施，增强肽合成和分析能力。新设施的基石将是肽分析和合成系统（PASS）。具体而言，PAS将包括Pioneer肽合成仪、16柱多肽合成配件、工作站软件套件和BioCAD/SPRINT灌注色谱系统。PASS将大大加快肽技术的发现步伐，为从事健康相关研究的越来越多的研究人员带来直接和持久的好处。

Use of peptides as probes of biological processes is on the threshold of a rapid growth phase. This is in part because of the potential for diversity of structure and function afforded by peptides and in part because of the increasing availability of sequence information that provides new 'leads' for peptide probes directed at specific cellular targets. Chemical synthesis is the preferred approach for preparing large quantities of peptides-containing unnatural amino acids, including those modified with photocleavable cage moieties, photo-cross-linkers, spectroscopic probes or altered backbone features. Modern chemical methods of synthesis and analysis permit these structures to be introduced at defined locations in peptide and protein sequences in an efficient, rapid and-cost effective manner that complements molecular biological approaches. University of Wisconsin-Madison investigators are active in developing novel peptide based regents for probing protein structure/function and cellular physiology. With early success comes interest in exploiting the potential and consultations have developed into collaborations. Currently, there is a core group of a half dozen investigators who have made a major commitment to peptide design, synthesis and characterization. The core group also generates peptides for other investigators who employ peptide methodology but do not have the expertise or facilities for peptide probe development, or who are just beginning to explore their use. This group presently numbers about a dozen. Most, if not all of the investigators are NIH supported. Recognizing that the one campus peptide facility has received, if not surpassed it s capacity, the core group and the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology enter are combining efforts to develop a facility with enhanced peptide synthesis and analysis capability. The cornerstone of the new facility will be the Peptide Analysis and Synthesis System (PASS). Specifically, PAS will include a Pioneer Peptide Synthesizer, a 16 column Multiple Peptide Synthesis Accessory, Workstation Software Kit, and a BioCAD/SPRINT Perfusion Chromatography System. PASS will greatly accelerate the pace of discovery in peptide technologies with immediate and long-lasting benefits to an expanding group of investigators engaged in health related research.