LC-coupled mass spectrometer for proteome research

• Subject Area: Biological Chemistry and Food Chemistry
• Term: Funded in 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 551990353

The high-performance mass spectrometer and accessories applied for here, is intended to strengthen the applicant's research infrastructure and be used in a variety of basic research projects in different areas of proteome research. The chemical-biological projects are primarily concerned with better understanding the mode of action of (cancer) drugs by asking, for example, which proteins are inhibited by the drugs, how they intervene in the control of signaling pathways in cells and ultimately develop their therapeutic effect, why cancer cells become resistant and how this resistance can be avoided or circumvented. The biomedical projects are primarily concerned with the analysis of the phosphoproteomes of cancer patients and the question of whether these profiles can be used to better understand the tumors of individual patients or to find biomarkers for the recommendation of a molecularly targeted therapy. In the cell biology-oriented projects, we want to systematically investigate physical interactions of proteins with DNA in order to learn more about how gene expression is controlled. Mass spectrometry is a generic technology that can be applied to the analysis of any biosystem. One of our particularly ambitious projects is mapping the proteomes of the 100 most important crops for human nutrition and investigating a variety of specific questions about these crops. With this project, we also want to contribute to promoting the use of proteomics in plant sciences. As scientific progress in proteomics research is still strongly driven by improvements in the technology used, the applicant is constantly developing both laboratory and bioinformatics processes and methods, for which the proposed instrument will provide valuable data. In particular, it will focus on analyzing the phosphoproteomes of archived clinical material, as this could mobilise a diagnostic treasure that is currently still largely untapped. Furthermore, the biomaterial required for proteome analysis needs to be further reduced so that the processing of many other research questions is no longer dependent on the availability of material. In addition, the number of samples analysed needs to be further increased in many projects so that the obtained research results come with a solid statistical basis.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: LC-gekoppeltes Massenspektrometer für die Proteomforschung
• Instrumentation Group: 1700 Massenspektrometer
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Leader: Professor Dr. Bernhard Küster