Protein Sciences (PS) comprises services and expertise related to mass spectrometric characterization of biomolecules, antibody generation, and protein production/isolation. Methods in each of these areas can be customized to meet project needs. PS supports investigator projects from conceptualization and planning through to the collection and final reporting of data. The Mass Spectrometry and Protein Chemistry Service (MSPC) employs multiple platforms for the high-throughput mass spectrometric identification of proteins, small-molecule metabolites, and lipids in homogenized liquid samples or in conjunction with spatial mass spectrometry imaging in situ. The Monoclonal Antibody and Protein Production Service (MAPP) performs monoclonal and polyclonal antibody generation, recombinant protein production, and chromatographic isolation of both recombinant proteins and endogenous proteins.
PS collaborates with a variety of investigators on a diverse array of projects that utilize our expertise. In our current collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Kristen O’Connell, the MSPC is performing metabolomics, discovery proteomics, single-cell proteomics, and discovery mass spectrometry imaging (proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics) to better understand the complex cellular changes that occur in healthy aging brains and distinguish them from the changes that occur in Alzheimer’s disease. This collaboration takes advantage of the newest mass spectrometry equipment in PS: the Bruker timsTOF Ultra 2 Mass Spectrometer and the Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Astral Mass Spectrometer. JAX was awarded NIH funding to support the purchase and installment of the Ultra 2 in October 2024, making PS one of the first recipients of this cutting-edge, highly sensitive mass spectrometer that enables analysis of proteins and metabolites in single cells. The collaboration and Ultra 2 were recently highlighted on Mainebiz and EurekAlert.
