Brandeis University Mass Spectrometry Facility

The Brandeis University Mass Spectrometry Facility is a joint venture of the Departments of Biology, Biochemistry, and Chemistry that develops and utilizes cutting-edge mass spec applications to advance the boundaries of basic and applied as well as clinically oriented research projects. We currently operate a Waters Micromass ZQ, a Perkin-Elmer Axion 2 TOF MS, and a Bruker timsTOF pro. The facility provides service to members of the Brandeis Community and external academic or industrial collaborators from the Boston area and beyond to address highly relevant scientific questions by a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach. Another focus of this facility is the training of enthusiastic young or seasoned researchers in sample processing, instrumentation, and data analysis.

Major areas of research and service include:

• Development and implementation of sample preparation strategies and instrument methods for common and recalcitrant matrices to achieve the highest possible sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility in the detection of analytes using minimum amounts of sample.

• Protein and peptide profiling from a wide range of specimens, such as bacteria, cell cultures, plants, human body fluids, and tissue extracts by absolute and relative quantitation using label-free and isotopic labelling approaches, including TMT, SILAC, TIC ratio, and spectral counting.

• Enrichment, detection, and quantitation of post-translational protein modifications, such as acetylations, methylations, ubiquitinations, and phosphorylations from individual proteins and complex proteome extracts.

• Detection of metabolites in biological samples by targeted (PRM), semi-targeted (DIA), and untargeted (DDA) methods with and without isotopes for relative and absolute quantitation. We offer service for the establishment of workflows for the targeted, absolute quantitation of compounds that are not established at our facility.

• Determination of exact mass and structural elucidation of organic reaction products, natural products, and peptides using LC-MS and MS/MS spectra. Isobaric compounds can be separated via IMS.

• High-throughput preparation and absolute quantification of prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and pro-resolving lipid mediators from model organisms and human samples. Our workflow offers the highest sensitivity and specificity in the market and is particularly suitable for specimen with low abundance of analytes and high background signal, such as human blood plasma and serum.

We offer mass spectrometry services to interested collaborators for competitive rates. Please contact us for details.