The Mass Spectrometry Group is pursuing proteomics studies either as research projects carried out by the research group, or as collaborative efforts via the Protein Microcharacterization Core Facility. The current major proteomics project is collaboration with Suraj Dhungana, Ph.D., in the Host Defense Group led by M. Fessler, M.D., of the Laboratory of Respiratory Biology to investigate the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced innate immune response. Specifically, the collaborators are looking at changes in the repertoire of lipid raft proteins and changes in the cellular complement of phosphorylated proteins triggered by LPS exposure. Approaches include the use of Stable Isotope Labeling with Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC) and Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (IMAC) in conjunction with Tandem Mass Spectrometry.