This award for a benchtop MALDI-ToF mass spectrometer to Georgia Southern University will impact a number of researchers in the Chemistry and Physics Departments there as well as researchers at Armstrong Atlantic State University. The instrument will enhance the following research projects: 1) artificial bioactive polymers; new artificial polymers via hydroamination; 2) ROMP copolymers for binding to hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier; 3) biomass for catalytic conversion into liquid fuels; 4) repellent polymeric coatings and pH-responsive polymers; 5) potential iron chelation therapy drugs; 6) modified hemoglobin products; 7) porphyrin-based singlet oxygen sensitizers; and, 8) investigation of proteins in nanoparticles.
The MALDI-ToF mass spectrometer will enhance the research culture at Georgia Southern by supporting the team's efforts in the multi-disciplinary and collaborative Material Science research focus area on campus. Additionally, the instrument will improve undergraduate research training by enabling 'hands-on' experiences. The instrument will also enrich the curriculum through the integration of a practical instrument component into lecture classes and laboratory courses for undergraduate students. Finally, a multiple-student project is planned incorporating the instrument in the development of a YouTube video, which introduces and illustrates mass-spectroscopy techniques, in particular MALDI-ToF.
