Project Summary/Abstract
Stanford researchers are in acute need of a new Orbitrap tribrid mass spectrometer to
serve their demanding proteomics needs. This instrument will replace two 11-year-old
hybrid Orbitrap instruments which are no longer up to the task. The new instrument will
be housed and maintained by Stanford University Mass Spectrometry (SUMS), the
campus-wide shared proteomics resource for over 20 years. The previous instruments
served well in their time, and our expert staff has been able to coax out cutting edge
data long beyond the instruments’ effective lifespans through capable, careful
collaboration with hundreds of researchers, but time is now of the essence. As the field
of proteomics has evolved from relatively simple, untargeted discovery methods to a
experimentally diverse, bioinformatically rich, and robustly integrated suite of research
approaches, the existing Orbitrap platforms can no longer meet the demands of today’s
NIH-funded biomedical research. The need goes far beyond simple upgrades for greater
analytical sensitivity or faster scanning rates; our decade old instruments simply cannot
perform the complex, multi-dimensional experiments needed by our researchers on
campus today. Numerous NIH-funded projects with pressing bioanalytical questions are
being delayed or limited in scope until we are able to provide robust, modern instrument
capabilities. Our shared facility maintains an accomplished scientific staff with the
necessary technical expertise and drive to support these projects, and our brand-new
purpose-built mass spectrometry laboratory provides the ideal physical infrastructure to
accommodate new instrumentation seamlessly. Plus, SUMS’ proven record of success
as a shared facility for two decades demonstrates the administrative processes are in
place to deploy this new mass spectrometer to work on NIH-funded biomedical research
projects immediately. Our research community fully backs this proposal as critical to
advancing their scientific efforts, which span complex topics in human development,
degenerative disease, allergies, infectious disease, and immune response.