Systems Mass Spectrometry Core
Georgia Institute of Technology

Contact: David Smalley (Proteomics)

The mission of Georgia Tech's Systems Mass Spectrometry Core (SyMS-C) facility is to provide researchers with state-of-the-art scientific and technical support in modern proteomics and metabolomics. This requires a commitment to developing, implementing, and optimizing cutting-edge methodologies and instrumentation. In addition, a strong commitment to educating researchers is essential.

Proteomics Services: An Overview
Identification of a Purified Protein

Identification of Proteins in Complex Mixtures

Relative Quantitation of Complex Protein Mixtures
Types:

  1. Stable Isotopic Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC). Customers are required to purchase SILAC reagents and perform the SILAC incorporation themselves. Prior to large-scale experiments, incorporation testing by LC/MS/MS analysis must be performed to determine the incorporation efficiency.
  2. Isobaric tagging (iTRAQ or TMT). The facility provides the labels and will perform the labeling step for the customer.
  3. Label-free Quantitation (LFQ) using area under the curve or spectral counting.

Protein Characterization
Modifications may include:

  1. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, acetylation, and glycosylation. If you're interested in a specific modification, please contact us so that we may direct you to sample preparation protocols that could be used to optimize its detection.
  2. Covalent modifications of a protein.  The customer should provide the expected modification(s).
  3. Cleavage Site Determination. 

Proteins are typically digested with trypsin then analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Data is searched against a publicly available or user-provided protein database using either Mascot or Sequest search engines. Data is processed in Proteome Discoverer.

Intact Mass Measurement

Metabolomic Services: An Overview
Discovery - General Metabolites and Lipidomics 

Targeted - (In-House)

Targeted - Biocrates P400

Global Phosphoproteomics

Systems Mass Spectrometry Equipment & Software

LC-MS/MS System 1
Dionex UltiMate 3000 RSLCnano UHPLC system

Q Exactive™ Plus Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap™ Mass Spectrometer

LC-MS/MS System 2
Dionex UltiMate 3000 RSLC UHPLC system

Q Exactive™ HF Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer

FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry

Recently, several faculty members at Georgia Tech have received NSF funding for a 12 Tesla FT-ICR and it is expected to be installed by summer of 2018. If you are interested in a project utilizing this instrumentation, please feel free to contact us. This is a very unique and powerful instrument suitable for specialized projects.

Off-line LC System
Beckman Coulter ProteomeLab PF2D

Software

  • Proteome Discoverer (ver. 2.1)
  • Mascot Server (ver. 2.5.1)
  • Thermo Scientific Sieve Software (ver. 2.2sp2)
  • Thermo Scientific LipidSearch software (ver. 4.1.28)

More about this core facility at Georgia Tech's website »

SPECIAL NOTE:

Additional contact: David Gaul (Metabolomics)

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