This is a request for instrumentation to provide state of the art MALDI-TOF and liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometric methods to the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. The recent advances in mass spectrometry for biological molecule analysis have been extreme, and this instrumentation represents the components necessary to take advantage of these advances. The instrumentation will be placed in an existing facility and will be maintained by existing personnel. Thirteen projects are described as examples of the anticipated usage. These projects fall into four categories including; support for other core facilities at the university, such as the microchemical facility; projects targeting small molecules and unusual biomaterials; projects involving proteins and peptides of all sizes; and finally projects involving the identification of protein components in large complexes and mixtures. These technologies will be available on a broader basis for researchers and educators in other institutions in the region.
