PROJECT SUMMARY
This proposal is a resubmission requesting funding for a Bruker rapifleX matrix-assisted laser desorption
ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight/time-of-flight (TOF/TOF) mass spectrometer (MS) capable of MS imaging
(MSI) for the University of New Mexico (UNM) Integrative Molecular Analysis Core facility. MSI is a powerful
technique that simultaneously detects and maps the location of hundreds of known and unknown molecules in
their native state label-free. The rapifleX is the most advanced MALDI-TOF/TOF system on the market.
Compared to other commercially available molecular MSI instruments, the rapifleX acquires images with the
highest repetition lasing rate and spatial resolution. The latest generation of the rapifleX system includes new
robust designs to ensure high data integrity and long laser lifetime. Additionally, the requested rapifleX
TOF/TOF mass analyzer has the capabilities needed to analyze complex biomolecules that are challenging to
analyze using our current MALDI and electrospray ionization systems. This is an essential MS/MS capability
needed by our user community of chemical biologists generating modified proteins/peptides and developing
bioorthogonal reactions. Currently, there is no instrument available to perform this type of MSI and MS/MS
analysis at UNM or in the State of New Mexico. Importantly, the rapifleX will complement a fleet of existing MS
instruments at UNM. The platform seamlessly integrates MALDI-TOF/TOF, LC coupled high-resolution MS,
and laser ablation ICP-MS for spatially guided omics and a combination of molecular and elemental imaging.
Thus, this platform will be unique in our geographic area, and we expect to serve investigators not only from
UNM but also from surrounding institutions. These innovative capabilities will bring a new dimension to the
shared resources at the Core, making it a center of excellence for the region.
Our exciting new preliminary results from several users highlight a broad spectrum of research addressing our
communities' societal health concerns, including liver disease, brain injury, and ovarian cancer. Our findings
not only justify the choice of the rapifleX but also illustrate the transformative benefits of MSI on our research
projects. The major user group extends over 4 academic departments & 3 Colleges (Pharmacy, Medicine, Arts
and Sciences) and represents both basic and translational research interests. As such, the addition of the
rapifleX will have an immediate and lasting impact on many NIH-funded investigators conducting research that
spans cancer, obesity, neurosciences, cardiovascular diseases, and chemical biology. Moreover, the
availability of this high performance MS instrument will help develop new educational platforms and boost the
research experience of trainees from underrepresented groups at UNM, a Hispanic-serving institution.
Importantly, this S10 Shared Instrumentation will support and synergize mass spectrometric efforts for three
NIH Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence programs.