9812708 Kinsel The goal of this proposed research is to study a new analytical approach to examine the dynamics of surface- biomolecule interactions. This approach is that of Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS). This technique could enable the examination of biomolecule surface adsorption at less than monolayer coverage. The problem to be examined centers on the effect of surface roughness in attenuating MALDI MS ion signals. Essentially, an inverse relationship has been observed in which, given a constant amount of biomolecule applied to a given polymer surface, the biomolecule MALDI ion signal increases in intensity as the surface-biomolecule binding affinity decreases. These studies, together with studies of the effect of changes in various surface properties on biomolecule adsorption and studies of the time dependence of biomolecule adsorption, promise to provide new insights into the fundamental processes which influence surface-biomolecule interactions. ***
