LC-MS or Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry, is a key enabling technology for the detection and characterisation of organic molecules. It combines the separation power of an HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) system, with the detection power of a mass spectrometer, and provides structural information for unequivocal compound identification. It is the preferred system for measuring and characterising biologically active molecules, especially proteins.
The LCMS team provides “high end” analytical capability for both small molecule and proteomics research programmes. Resources include two ThermoFinnigan tandem ion trap mass spectrometers, a LCQ Deca 3D trap and a LTQ 2D linear trap, both with MSn capability. The latter instrument is coupled to an Ettan MDLC (Multidimensional Liquid Chromatography) system to facilitate analysis of complex mixtures.
Software resources include Mass Frontier and Metabolite ID for small molecule analysis, Turbosequest for protein identification, DeNovoX and SALSA for de novo sequencing and protein sequence motif analysis and DecyderMS for automated MS differential analysis.
Contact: Dr Janine Cooney and Dwayne Jensen, HortResearch