Services

• LC-MS/MS Analysis: Liquid Chromotography Multistage Mass Spectrometry. Basic Analysis includes sample preparation and identification of trypsinized protein samples.
• Shotgun Proteomics: profiling and identification of complex protein samples.
• Protein Identification: LC/MS-MS analyses from gel bands or spots.
• Small molecule LC/MS Analysis: LC/MS and LC/MS-MS analyses (qualitative) of small bio-molecules (peptides, drugs, metabolites)

Additional Proteomics Services: 2D Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE), Targeted Mass Spectrometry and Multidimensional LC/MS-MS (MudPIT) – available via the CTSA partnerships with the Mass Spectrometry Research Center (MSRC) Proteomics Lab at the Vanderbilt University.

Consultation

Meharry Proteomics Core personnel provide consulting to enable investigators to frame research questions in proteomics terms and identify solutions to those questions. Core personnel are then available to facilitate these solutions.

Grant Preparation

Meharry Proteomics Core personnel enable grant submission by helping to identify proteomic and bioinformatic approaches to investigators’ research problems, framing the questions in “Omics” terms and providing letters of support that indicate sufficient expertise and tools exist to successfully complete the research indicated.

Data Analysis

Whenever possible, data analysis is approached as a training opportunity. However, there are times when this is undesirable either due to the complexity of the data (and analysis options) or the wishes of the investigator. In these instances, we do perform data analysis but request the participation of the investigator, as an appropriate analysis requires a fundamental understanding of the biology and experiment, which can only be supplied by the person who has done the work.

Identify Resources/Make Resources Available

As proteomics/bioinformatics needs arise in the research community or in individual laboratories, core personnel will help identify and make available resources that will address these needs. We will also train persons to use these resources effectively.

Education and Training

Core personnel provide training primarily in one-on-one or small group settings. We also provide workshops for specific bioinformatics packages or approaches to larger groups as needs are identified that can be addressed in this format. Talks have been and continue to be presented to departments to inform investigators of the value of proteomics & bioinformatics to their research and the services that are provided by the Proteomics Core.

Request Services

To request services, please contact:

Siddharth Pratap, Ph.D.
Director
615.327.6219
spratap@mmc.edu

Supported by the National Institute on Minority Health And Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number U54 MD0007593

Resources

Hardware

• ThermoFinnegan LTQ LinearIon Trap Mass Spectrometer
• ABSciex Tempo Nano-1D plus nano-HPLC
• ABSciex 920 Autosampler with cooling module
• Custom NanoSPRAY ESI source (James A. Hill Company)

Software

• Thermo Scientific Xcalibur Mass Spectrometry Controller Software
• Thermo Scientific Proteome Discoverer Mass Informatics Platform Software
• MATLAB programming environment with bioinformatics, statistics and proteomics analysis suites
• CYTOSCAPE bioinformatics software for systems biology and biological pathway interaction network analysis