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The Scottish Instrumentation and Research Centre for Advanced Mass Spectrometry (SIRCAMS) is a facility for ultra-high resolution
mass spectrometry Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that is used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. The results are presented as a ''mass spectrum'', a plot of intensity as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. Mass spectrometry is used ...
of
biomolecule A biomolecule or biological molecule is loosely defined as a molecule produced by a living organism and essential to one or more typically biological processes. Biomolecules include large macromolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids ...
s. SIRCAMS is based in the University of Edinburgh School of Chemistry. Much of the research activity is focused toward the development and application of mass spectrometry for the analysis of intact
peptide Peptides are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. A polypeptide is a longer, continuous, unbranched peptide chain. Polypeptides that have a molecular mass of 10,000 Da or more are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty am ...
s,
protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
s, protein–protein, and protein–
RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions, either by performing the function itself (non-coding RNA) or by forming a template for the production of proteins (messenger RNA). RNA and deoxyrib ...
/
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
complexes. Recent studies have included: identification of platination sites in peptides (
bombesin Bombesin is a 14-amino acid peptide originally isolated from the skin of the European fire-bellied toad (''Bombina bombina'') by Vittorio Erspamer ''et al.'' and named after its source. NIHMSID 45053. It has two known homologs in mammals call ...
,
substance P Substance P (SP) is an undecapeptide (a peptide composed of a chain of 11 amino acid residues) and a type of neuropeptide, belonging to the tachykinin family of neuropeptides. It acts as a neurotransmitter and a neuromodulator. Substance P ...
,
angiotensin Angiotensin is a peptide hormone that causes vasoconstriction and an increase in blood pressure. It is part of the renin–angiotensin system, which regulates blood pressure. Angiotensin also stimulates the release of aldosterone from the adr ...
,
bradykinin Bradykinin (BK) (from Greek ''brady-'' 'slow' + ''-kinin'', ''kīn(eîn)'' 'to move') is a peptide that promotes inflammation. It causes arterioles to dilate (enlarge) via the release of prostacyclin, nitric oxide, and endothelium-derived hyperpo ...
) using
Infrared multiphoton dissociation Infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) is a technique used in mass spectrometry to fragment molecules in the gas phase usually for structural analysis of the original (parent) molecule. How it works An infrared laser is directed through ...
(IRMPD),
Collision-induced dissociation Collision-induced dissociation (CID), also known as collisionally activated dissociation (CAD), is a mass spectrometry technique to induce fragmentation (chemistry), fragmentation of selected ions in the gas phase. The selected ions (typically m ...
(CID) and
Electron-capture dissociation Electron-capture dissociation (ECD) is a method of fragmenting gas-phase ions for structure elucidation of peptides and proteins in tandem mass spectrometry. It is one of the most widely used techniques for activation and dissociation of mass s ...
(ECD), accurate
mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
measurements on intact proteins (YdaE 6.5kDa, ubiquitin 8.6kDa,
trypsinogen Trypsinogen () is the precursor form (or zymogen) of trypsin, a digestive enzyme. It is produced by the pancreas and found in pancreatic juice, along with amylase, lipase, and chymotrypsinogen. It is cleaved to its active form, trypsin, by e ...
24kDa,
carbonic anhydrase The carbonic anhydrases (or carbonate dehydratases) () form a family of enzymes that catalyst, catalyze the interconversion between carbon dioxide and water and the Dissociation (chemistry), dissociated ions of carbonic acid (i.e. bicarbonate a ...
28kDa, beSOD 31kDa, FbpA 33kDa, BSA 66kDa) under native and denaturing conditions, identification of
dynamic Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power") or dynamic may refer to: Physics and engineering * Dynamics (mechanics), the study of forces and their effect on motion Brands and enter ...
post-translational modifications In molecular biology, post-translational modification (PTM) is the covalent process of changing proteins following protein biosynthesis. PTMs may involve enzymes or occur spontaneously. Proteins are created by ribosomes, which translation (biolog ...
in intact
human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
histone In biology, histones are highly basic proteins abundant in lysine and arginine residues that are found in eukaryotic cell nuclei and in most Archaeal phyla. They act as spools around which DNA winds to create structural units called nucleosomes ...
s using top-down ECD, top-down identification of proteins from complex mixtures, as well as accurate mass analysis of
oligonucleotide Oligonucleotides are short DNA or RNA molecules, oligomers, that have a wide range of applications in genetic testing, Recombinant DNA, research, and Forensic DNA, forensics. Commonly made in the laboratory by Oligonucleotide synthesis, solid-phase ...
DNA strands (40 bp). The capital cost of FTICR instruments operating at field strengths higher than 9.4 T are such that few University institutions worldwide can offer access. SIRCAMS offers user access to a 12T Bruker SolariX FTICR mass spectrometer within the facility. By taking advantage of the research expertise that has been developed by staff within the facility, users have access to techniques for accurate mass measurement of intact proteins with
isotope Isotopes are distinct nuclear species (or ''nuclides'') of the same chemical element. They have the same atomic number (number of protons in their Atomic nucleus, nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemica ...
peak fitting, top-down protein
sequencing In genetics and biochemistry, sequencing means to determine the primary structure (sometimes incorrectly called the primary sequence) of an unbranched biopolymer. Sequencing results in a symbolic linear depiction known as a sequence which succ ...
from complex mixtures (such as
biomarker In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues to examine normal biological processes, ...
identification) solution and
gas Gas is a state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape and is a compressible fluid. A ''pure gas'' is made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon) or molecules of either a single type of atom ( elements such as ...
-phase HDX for protein conformational studies, mapping of post-translational modifications in peptides and proteins, and identification of DNA modifications.


References


External links

* {{coord, 55, 55, 25, N, 3, 10, 34, W, type:landmark_region:GB-EDH, display=title Biological research institutes in the United Kingdom Mass spectrometry Research institutes of the University of Edinburgh