Purdue University
Q: WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF YOUR LAB’S RESEARCH?
A: My research focuses on developing small molecule modulators to pharmacologically validate potential antibiotic, cancer, and chronic pain therapeutic targets.
Q: WHAT WAS YOUR PREVIOUS WORKFLOW AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU EXPERIENCED?
A: Purdue’s campus has not had easy access to walk-up mass spec instruments. To get reliable mass spec data for small molecules, one would typically have to submit a request to a central mass spec core. This was not conducive to reaction monitoring or small molecule characterization.
Q: WHY DID YOU INCORPORATE THE EXPRESSION® CMS INTO YOUR LABORATORY?
A: The university research office acknowledged this need and purchased three CMS-L instruments with the Plate Express™ and ASAP® capability for walk-up mass spec at three locations on campus. This provided easy access to mass spec data to monitor reactions and characterize molecules. We have even confirmed covalent modification of a protein with a small molecule ligand using this instrument. I was so impressed with the user-friendly interface and instrument set up, that I applied for and received a grant to purchase a 4th instrument to be used in the undergraduate organic teaching lab in the course I teach. We have now incorporated this instrument into the workflow of lab modules for students to collect and analyze their own mass spec data. Something else that stuck out as a positive with Advion is that the data processing software, Data Express®, is free to download for any user. We can have our students analyze data off-site on their own computers. We look forward to incorporating this instrument into more organic lab modules and other courses.
Q: WHO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO PURCHASE THE EXPRESSION® CMS?
A: I recommend this instrument for both research labs and teaching labs. The ASAP® probe is especially convenient and easy to use for mass spec data.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLICATIONS OR PRESENTATIONS USING THE EXPRESSION® CMS?
A: Not yet, but we have one in review for my research, and another that will be written to publish the laboratory module in the Journal of Chemical Education.
