High definition mass spectrometry system will enable new research at Oxford University into understanding how oxygen regulates gene expression
Oxford University has taken delivery of a Waters Synapt High Definition MS System for its department of chemistry.
The University purchased the system for advanced research in chemical biology and will use it to study interactions between proteins and small molecules and interactions between proteins and other bio-macromolecules.
"We are particularly keen to apply the capability of the Synapt HDMS System to separate species by ion mobility," commented Chris Schofield of the department of chemistry.
"We hope it will enable us to study the effect of binding events on protein conformation in an efficient manner and complement data obtained from high resolution but time-consuming techniques such as X-ray crystallography and NMR.
"Obtaining three-dimensional information on proteins is difficult to do by existing mass spectrometric-based techniques".
Prof Schofield also intends to use the Synapt HDMS system to study multi-component protein complexes.
A major aspect of Chris Schofield's research involves developing a chemical understanding of how cells sense oxygen.
In collaboration with researchers in Oxford's department of medicine, led by scientists Peter Ratcliffe and Chris Pugh, the scientists have discovered a family of enzymes that act as oxygen sensors in humans.
These enzymes catalyse the oxidation of a transcription factor that regulates proteins which in turn increase red blood cell production and blood vessel growth.
Applications of this research include learning how to starve cancerous tumors of oxygen and how to oxygenate and, some day, restore heart tissue damaged by various forms of heart disease.
To introduce sample proteins and peptides into the Synapt HDMS system and maintain their conformational state while maximizing productivity and performance, Professor Schofield will use an Advion TriVersa NanoMate chip-based nanoelectrospray device.
Waters and Advion BioSciences announced a collaboration in November of 2006 to ensure the compatibility of the TriVersa NanoMate sample introduction device with the Synapt HDMS system.
A NanoMate has been successfully used for research at Oxford University in conjunction with a Waters Q-Tof micro mass spectrometer.
Waters introduced the Synapt HDMS system at the American Society of Mass Spectrometry annual meeting in Seattle in June of 2006.
It is the first commercially-available mass spectrometer with the ability to analyse ions by their size, shape and charge in addition to mass.
