A new approach will be developed for performing amino acid analysis of protein hydrolysates. It will employ a unique derivatizing reagent which is capable of reacting with all amino acids in protein hydrolsates. This includes proline, cysteine and tryptophan, amino acids which are typically difficult to quantitate. The amino acid analyzer will be based on an HPLC system, but will contain an additional component for sample cleanup prior to injectio onto the HPLC column. This should eliminate the spurious peaks typically found in prederivatization procedures. This methodology will provide picomole level sensitivity, short run times and accurate, dependable results. An instrument based on this new technology will be utilized in all biotechnology and medical research laboratories working with both natural and recombinant proteins. The use of proteins is increasing dramatically, particularly in the search for novel peptide vaccines, and the detailed study of antigenantibody interactions. Phase 1 will identify the unique derivitizing agents, construct a breadboard analyzer, and establish the conditions for amino acid analysis. Phase 2 will further validate the analytical method with a variety of protein and peptide samples from various sources. A prototype commercial instrument will also be constructed automating the entire procedure.
