Mass Spectrometry Technology

Members: Matthias Mann, Annette Michalski

The MS-core interest group includes the department members that are directly involved in the development of new features within the 'mass spec' technology and the maintenance of the mass spectrometers.

For normal proteomic screening we use the following workflow:

picture_workflow3

We are currently automating this workflow by implementing a robot system. This will enable us to process more samples and in a more standardized and keratine-free way.

In collaboration with Thermo Electron Corp., we furthermore test and develop new features for the Xcalibur software that controls the mass spectrometer. New features we are currently applying are the C-trap (HCD) fragmentation and the use of siloxane lock masses to increase the mass accuracy.

Within our interest group we are also setting up a workflow for protein characterization projects. In these projects, we attempt to completely characterize certain highly modified proteins (e.g. histones, MBP). We try to get full sequence coverage and to map different posttranslational modifications and we look for possible combinatorial effects. Top down mass spectrometry, the analysis of proteins without prior digestion, is part of this workflow.