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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 spectrometryorders
of magnitude more informative and
sensitive than previous systemsoperating
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 |