This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Biologically active molecules from the genus Conidea (a marine gastropod) have presently stimulated interest into their use as pharmaceutical lead compounds both to combat pain and control ischemic damage to the brain after stroke. Present quantities of venom obtained from the genus require state of the art technology at low molar levels - a process readily achievable by mass spectrometry. The complexity of these molecules including post-translational modifications together with their highly constrained disulfide bridges requires the development of nano-technological methods to establish and confirm sequence data to enable successful synthesis for future pharmacological investigations. The direction of this research is to identify novel biologically active molecules rapidly via mass spectrometry and to develop this approach as a major contributing effort in establishing novel conotoxin sequences that may lead to new therapeutic strategies for treatment of pain. (Additional effort and instrument time reported under Collaborative projects and other Technical Research and Development projects.)
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