The mission of the Protein Interactions and Proteomics (PIP) Facility Core is to enhance research productivity by providing the equipment and expertise necessary for analysis of protein interactions and cellular protein composition. The two components of the PIP Core provide instruments and expertise for identification of proteins and analysis of protein interactions. These two services require different instrumentation, but they both rely on expertise in protein chemistry, separation and analysis. The protein interactions component of the PIP Core provides instrumentation and services for detection of protein binding by Fluorescence Polarization (FP), Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), and Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). These PIP Core technologies, which are used to examine protein interactions, strengthen established research programs of Center investigators with research programs focused on cellular signaling pathways. Invariably, the function of signaling pathways is dependent on the coordinated and regulated interactions between many different proteins. The instruments in the PIP Core produce sensitive, accurate and real time measurements of protein binding events both in vitro and in intact cells. Thus, the protein interactions component of the PIP Core provides a window through which Center investigators can ask questions about protein-protein interactions and the effects of those interactions on signaling pathways and cellular function. The protein identification component of the PIP Core provides access to mass spectrometers for identification of proteins and protein covalent modifications, such as phosphorylation, as well as services for preparation of samples for and running of mass-spec analysis. The PIP Core technologies that are used in protein identification enhance research productivity by providing a clear and easily accessible mechanism for determining the amino acid sequence of unknown proteins that the investigator has either isolated or identified as an important component in a mixture of proteins. The technologies provided by the PIP Core can also be used by Center investigators to identify those proteins in complex mixtures of proteins from body fluids or cells that are candidate biomarkers. Archiving and analysis of data from protein identification technologies requires software systems to maintain the data and expertise in bioinformatics to analyze the data. The EHS Center at Wayne State University has established a facility core for Microarray Analysis and Bioinformatics, which will provide these services to Center investigators. Thus, the protein identification component of the PIP Core provides access to technology for protein identification, protein profiling and biomarker identification.
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