MRI: Acquisition of a MALDI TOF-TOF Mass Spectrometer

With this award co-funded by the Division of Chemistry and the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Professor Daniel R. Talham and colleagues John R. Reynolds, K. B. Wagener and Stephen A. Miller from the University of Florida and Kevin D. Belfield of the University of Central Florida will acquire a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI TOF-TOF MS). The award will enhance research, training and education at all levels, especially in polymer science, chemical imaging, biomarker discovery and natural products research. Specific areas of research to be investigated include studies of acyclic diene metathesis of precision olefins, multiphoton absorbing supramolecular photonic materials, biodegradable plastics, conjugated donor-acceptor polymers, peptide-based natural products, and bioanalytical applications of aptamer-based platforms.

Mass spectrometers (MS) are used to identify the chemical composition of a sample by measuring the mass of the molecular constituents in the sample after they are ionized and detected by the mass spectrometer. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) is a technique for preparing the sample to be ionized by a laser before injection into the mass spectrometer. The time of flight (TOF) mass analyzer has high sensitivity and mass accuracy to assist the analyses and interpretation of the resultant data. This open access instrument will be available to all at the Universities of Florida and Central Florida and as a service for external user groups throughout the Southeast and Puerto Rico, including several at Florida A&M University. It will provide training to undergraduate, graduate and post doctoral students in state-of-the-art mass spectrometry usage.