The Middle Atlantic Mass Spectrometry (MAMS) laboratory directed by Dr. Cotter has been a leader in the development of time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry, including tandem and curved-field reflectron instruments for rapid peptide amino acid sequencing. The laboratory has developed several new technologies for ion trap mass spectrometers, a combined ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometer and a miniaturized TOF for the rapid identification of microorganisms. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is being used for the analysis of Class I antigens associated with the major histocompatability (MHC) complex, including ligands bound to the non-classical antigen-presenting class IB molecule Qa-1. Atmospheric pressure MALDI ion trap mass spectrometry has been developed as a very soft ionization technique for investigating sugar-sugar and sugar-peptide complexes and, using an infrared laser and ice matrix, for analyzing intact sialylated sugars. Tandem TOF mass spectrometry is being used to investigate lysine modifications, including acetylation sites in histone acetyl transferases and ubiquitylation. As part of the multi-investigator JHU/NHLBI Proteomics Center, the laboratory is using both post-source decay (PSD) and collision-induced dissociation (CID) to investigate proteins bound to albumine (the albuminome) as a potential source of biomarkers for heart failure.

Links:

Middle Atlantic Mass Spectrometry Laboratory

RJC Pharmacology

JHU/NHLBI Proteomics Center