Research Interests

Mass spectrometry has proved to be an invaluable tool in the study of biomolecules. Our research is carried out with state of the art mass spectrometers designed and constructed in-house, providing the student with an engineering and technical challenge as well as an exciting research opportunity.

Molecular weight determination is a pivotal component of research in biotechnology, its most visible application being DNA profiling for forensic purposes. Until recently, only chemical methods were available for determining the molecular weight of large biomolecules. However, new ion production technologies have enabled dramatically improved accuracy and sensitivity, by extending the range of mass spectrometry from a few hundred atomic mass units to more than one million. With the near completion of the Human Genome Project, interest is being directed towards identifying the functions of the protein associated with the now-sequenced genes. Mass spectrometry is proving to play a pivotal role in this field of proteomics.

The two most successful methods of production of large molecular ions (matrix-assisted laser desorption and electrospray ionization) are used here in four time-of-flight mass spectrometers, two equipped with an electrostatic ion mirror for state-of-the-art resolution. Our research includes studies of the fundamental processes involved in large ion production, the development of optimal instrumentation and data-handling, and several collaborations in which the methods are applied to various biological problems