Wael Demian - November 28

Tandem mass spectrometry of biomolecules

Mass spectrometry is an analytical method for determining the molecular mass of chemical or biological compounds. Additionally, it is a powerful technique for elucidating the structure of biomolecules. This technique holds an integral place in analytical biochemistry due to its sensitivity, its low sample consumption and its relative rapidity of analysis. Bottom up proteomics is an exceptional approach that uses tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) for protein sequencing. In this seminar, examples of the uses of MS/MS for different biomolecules will be presented. Two key examples include: 1) matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and MS/MS for the determination of changes in snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) cryptocyanin protein; and 2) electrospray ionization time of flight MS/MS was used for mapping of the glycation sites of the anti-tumor Thomsen-Friedenreich neoglycoconjugate vaccine, as well as the glycation of the free sulfhydryl group of cysteine-34 of bovine serum albumin.