11.5 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

With the completion of DNA sequences from a rapidly growing number of organisms, scientists now want to identify and characterize all of the genes and their protein products. Measurements of protein production, for example, could provide new insights into the molecular nature of disease and many other biological processes. Protein studies generally proceed slowly, but Richard Smith of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently developed an instrument that greatly accelerates such research. The innovation involves a unique type of mass spectrometry—orders of magnitude more informative and sensitive than previous systems—operating in a rapid, high-volume mode to simultaneously study all of an organism's proteins, or the proteome. (The proteome is the entire complement of proteins that can be expressed by a particular cell, organism, or tissue.) No other existing technology can perform this task. A pilot demonstration in 2000 focusing on an important microorganism generated much more data than was obtained in all previous studies, and in much less time and at much lower cost.

Scientific Impact: This instrument will have a broad impact on biological research, especially proteomics, the study of the protein complement expressed at a given time or under a specific set of environmental conditions. It will enable direct, quantitative comparisons of the proteins expressed under different conditions, a key question in understanding how biological systems work and respond to their environments.

Social Impact: The capability to make these rapid, data-rich measurements of proteomes will have enormous and almost immediate impacts on many areas of biomedical research. The new understanding developed as a result may broadly influence the human condition, including the life span and quality of life.

Reference: T.P. Conrads, G.A. Anderson, T.D. Veenstra, L. Pasa-Tolic, and R.D. Smith, "Utility of Accurate Mass Tags for Proteome-Wide Protein Identification," Analytical Chemistry 72:3349-3354 (2000).

URL: http://www.emsl.pnl.gov:2080/homepage.html

Technical Contact: Dr. Marvin Frazier, Director Life Sciences Division, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, 301-903-5469

Press Contact: Jeff Sherwood, DOE Office of Public Affairs, 202-586-5806

SC-Funding Office: Office of Biological and Environmental Research