BIOCHEMISTRY

Applications of MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry to Your Biological Research Problems
Hosted by the Biophysics Instrumentation Facility

A Shimadzu Confidence MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer with CovalX high mass detector is now available for use in the Biophysics Instrumentation Facility. This talk highlights the features and ease of use of the recently acquired MALDI-TOF available for walk-up use by all campus users.

Presented by:
M. Nazim Boutaghou, Ph.D. (Shimadzu Applications Scientist)

Thursday April 6th at 2:00 PM
1220 HFD Biochemical Sciences Building
Host Contact: bifmaster@biochem.wisc.edu

Abstract:
The 2002 Nobel prizes were awarded to two scientists who were amongst the first to introduce “softer” ionization techniques to mass spectrometry which permitted easy ionization and volatilization of large biomolecules. This has helped propel mass spectrometry as the tool of choice for the analytical characterization of these molecules. The simplicity of sample preparatation, speed of analysis, robust instrumentation, and ease of use and interpretation, has made the MALDI ionization approach remains a staple of proteomic facilities.

The presentation will provide a very brief introduction to the nature of the MALDI measurement with an emphasis on the simplicity of sample preparation and spectral analysis. Then, examples of varied applications to the study of peptides, oligonucleotides, proteins, and large-mass complexes will be presented. The simple, accurate mass measurements, quickly provided by MALDI, can be exploited in a host of studies of biomolecules where such measures can enhance characterization.