1
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Wen X, Liu C, Tovar K, Curran P, Richards M, Agrawal S, Johnstone R, Loy RE, Methot JL, Mansueto MS, Koglin M, Wildey MJ, Burton L, Covey TR, Bateman KP, Kavana M, McLaren DG. High-Throughput Covalent Modifier Screening with Acoustic Ejection Mass Spectrometry. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:19792-19799. [PMID: 38994607 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c02377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Interests in covalent drugs have grown in modern drug discovery as they could tackle challenging targets traditionally considered "undruggable". The identification of covalent binders to target proteins typically involves directly measuring protein covalent modifications using high-resolution mass spectrometry. With a continually expanding library of compounds, conventional mass spectrometry platforms such as LC-MS and SPE-MS have become limiting factors for high-throughput screening. Here, we introduce a prototype high-resolution acoustic ejection mass spectrometry (AEMS) system for the rapid screening of a covalent modifier library comprising ∼10,000 compounds against a 50 kDa-sized target protein─Werner syndrome helicase. The screening samples were arranged in a 1536-well format. The sample buffer containing high-concentration salts was directly analyzed without any cleanup steps, minimizing sample preparation efforts and ensuring protein stability. The entire AEMS analysis process could be completed within a mere 17 h. An automated data analysis tool facilitated batch processing of the sample data and quantitation of the formation of various covalent protein-ligand adducts. The screening results displayed a high degree of fidelity, with a Z' factor of 0.8 and a hit rate of 2.3%. The identified hits underwent orthogonal testing in a biochemical activity assay, revealing that 75% were functional antagonists of the target protein. Notably, a comparative analysis with LC-MS showcased the AEMS platform's low risk of false positives or false negatives. This innovative platform has enabled robust high-throughput covalent modifier screening, featuring a 10-fold increase in library size and a 10- to 100-fold increase in throughput when compared with similar reports in the existing literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujuan Wen
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Chang Liu
- SCIEX, Concord, Ontario L4K 4V8, Canada
| | - Kiersten Tovar
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Patrick Curran
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | | | - Sony Agrawal
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | | | - Ryan E Loy
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Joey L Methot
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | | | - Markus Koglin
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Mary Jo Wildey
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | | | | | | | - Michael Kavana
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
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2
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Liu C, Zhang H. Data processing for high-throughput mass spectrometry in drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:815-825. [PMID: 38785418 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2354871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION High-throughput mass spectrometry that could deliver > 10 times faster sample readout speed than traditional LC-based platforms has emerged as a powerful analytical technique, enabling the rapid analysis of complex biological samples. This increased speed of MS data acquisition has brought a critical demand for automatic data processing capabilities that should match or surpass the speed of data acquisition. Those data processing capabilities should serve the different requirements of drug discovery workflows. AREAS COVERED This paper introduced the key steps of the automatic data processing workflows for high-throughput MS technologies. Specific examples and requirements are detailed for different drug discovery applications. EXPERT OPINION The demand for automatic data processing in high-throughput mass spectrometry is driven by the need to keep pace with the accelerated speed of data acquisition. The seamless integration of processing capabilities with LIMS, efficient data review mechanisms, and the exploration of future features such as real-time feedback, automatic method optimization, and AI model training is crucial for advancing the drug discovery field. As technology continues to evolve, the synergy between high-throughput mass spectrometry and intelligent data processing will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of high-throughput drug discovery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hui Zhang
- Iambic Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, USA
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3
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Van Puyvelde B, Hunter CL, Zhgamadze M, Savant S, Wang YO, Hoedt E, Raedschelders K, Pope M, Huynh CA, Ramanujan VK, Tourtellotte W, Razavi M, Anderson NL, Martens G, Deforce D, Fu Q, Dhaenens M, Van Eyk JE. Acoustic ejection mass spectrometry empowers ultra-fast protein biomarker quantification. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5114. [PMID: 38879593 PMCID: PMC11180209 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48563-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The global scientific response to COVID 19 highlighted the urgent need for increased throughput and capacity in bioanalytical laboratories, especially for the precise quantification of proteins that pertain to health and disease. Acoustic ejection mass spectrometry (AEMS) represents a much-needed paradigm shift for ultra-fast biomarker screening. Here, a quantitative AEMS assays is presented, employing peptide immunocapture to enrich (i) 10 acute phase response (APR) protein markers from plasma, and (ii) SARS-CoV-2 NCAP peptides from nasopharyngeal swabs. The APR proteins were quantified in 267 plasma samples, in triplicate in 4.8 h, with %CV from 4.2% to 10.5%. SARS-CoV-2 peptides were quantified in triplicate from 145 viral swabs in 10 min. This assay represents a 15-fold speed improvement over LC-MS, with instrument stability demonstrated across 10,000 peptide measurements. The combination of speed from AEMS and selectivity from peptide immunocapture enables ultra-high throughput, reproducible quantitative biomarker screening in very large cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Van Puyvelde
- ProGenTomics, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | | | - Maxim Zhgamadze
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | | | - Y Oliver Wang
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Esthelle Hoedt
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Koen Raedschelders
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Matt Pope
- SISCAPA Assay Technologies Inc., Box 53309, Washington, DC, 20009, USA
| | - Carissa A Huynh
- Cedars Sinai Biobank & Research Pathology Resource, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - V Krishnan Ramanujan
- Cedars Sinai Biobank & Research Pathology Resource, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Warren Tourtellotte
- Cedars Sinai Biobank & Research Pathology Resource, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Morteza Razavi
- SISCAPA Assay Technologies Inc., Box 53309, Washington, DC, 20009, USA
| | - N Leigh Anderson
- SISCAPA Assay Technologies Inc., Box 53309, Washington, DC, 20009, USA
| | - Geert Martens
- AZ Delta Medical Laboratories, AZ Delta General Hospital, 8800, Roeselare, Belgium
| | - Dieter Deforce
- ProGenTomics, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Qin Fu
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Maarten Dhaenens
- ProGenTomics, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Jennifer E Van Eyk
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
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4
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Quinn A, Ivosev G, Chin J, Mongillo R, Veiga C, Covey TR, Kapinos B, Khunte B, Zhang H, Troutman MD, Liu C. High-Throughput Compound Quality Assessment with High-Mass-Resolution Acoustic Ejection Mass Spectrometry: An Automatic Data Processing Toolkit. Anal Chem 2024; 96:8381-8389. [PMID: 38750648 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c05435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Pharmacological screening heavily relies on the reliability of compound libraries. To ensure the accuracy of screening results, fast and reliable quality control (QC) of these libraries is essential. While liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet (UV) or mass spectrometry (MS) detection has been employed for molecule QC on small sample sets, the analytical throughput becomes a bottleneck when dealing with large libraries. Acoustic ejection mass spectrometry (AEMS) is a high-throughput analytical platform that covers a broad range of chemical structural space. In this study, we present the utilization of an AEMS system equipped with a high-resolution MS analyzer for high-throughput compound QC. To facilitate efficient data processing, which is a key challenge for such a high-throughput application, we introduce an automatic data processing toolkit that allows for the high-throughput assessment of the sample standards' quantitative and qualitative characteristics, including purity calculation with the background processing option. Moreover, the toolkit includes a module for quantitatively comparing spectral similarity with the reference library. Integrating the described high-resolution AEMS system with the data processing toolkit effectively eliminates the analytical bottleneck, enabling a rapid and reliable compound quality assessment of large-scale compound libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alandra Quinn
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Gordana Ivosev
- SCIEX, 71 Four Valley Drive, Concord, Ontario L4K 4V8, Canada
| | - Jefferson Chin
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
- AssayQuant Technologies, Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Robert Mongillo
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Cristiano Veiga
- SCIEX, 71 Four Valley Drive, Concord, Ontario L4K 4V8, Canada
- Red Hat, Toronto, Ontario M5C 3G8, Canada
| | - Thomas R Covey
- SCIEX, 71 Four Valley Drive, Concord, Ontario L4K 4V8, Canada
| | - Brendon Kapinos
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Bhagyashree Khunte
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Hui Zhang
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
- Iambic Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Matthew D Troutman
- Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Chang Liu
- SCIEX, 71 Four Valley Drive, Concord, Ontario L4K 4V8, Canada
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5
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Peters-Clarke TM, Coon JJ, Riley NM. Instrumentation at the Leading Edge of Proteomics. Anal Chem 2024; 96:7976-8010. [PMID: 38738990 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Trenton M Peters-Clarke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin─Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin─Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Joshua J Coon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin─Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin─Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, United States
| | - Nicholas M Riley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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6
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Williams JD, Pu F, Sawicki JW, Elsen NL. Ultra-high-throughput mass spectrometry in drug discovery: fundamentals and recent advances. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:291-301. [PMID: 38111363 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2293153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ultra-high-throughput mass spectrometry, uHT-MS, is a technology that utilizes ionization and sample delivery technologies optimized to enable sampling from well plates at > 1 sample per second. These technologies do not need a chromatographic separation step and can be utilized in a wide variety of assays to detect a broad range of analytes including small molecules, lipids, and proteins. AREAS COVERED This manuscript provides a brief historical review of high-throughput mass spectrometry and the recently developed technologies that have enabled uHT-MS. The report also provides examples and references on how uHT-MS has been used in biochemical and chemical assays, nuisance compound profiling, protein analysis and high throughput experimentation for chemical synthesis. EXPERT OPINION The fast analysis time provided by uHT-MS is transforming how biochemical and chemical assays are performed in drug discovery. The potential to associate phenotypic responses produced by 1000's of compound treatments with changes in endogenous metabolite and lipid signals is becoming feasible. With the augmentation of simple, fast, high-throughput sample preparation, the scope of uHT-MS usage will increase. However, it likely will not supplant LC-MS for analyses that require low detection limits from complex matrices or characterization of complex biotherapeutics such as antibody-drug conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fan Pu
- Abbvie Discovery Research, North Chicago, IL, USA
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7
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Juliano BR, Keating JW, Li HW, Anders AG, Xie Z, Ruotolo BT. Development of an Automated, High-Throughput Methodology for Native Mass Spectrometry and Collision-Induced Unfolding. Anal Chem 2023; 95:16717-16724. [PMID: 37924308 PMCID: PMC11081713 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Native ion mobility mass spectrometry (nIM-MS) has emerged as a useful technology for the rapid evaluation of biomolecular structures. When combined with collisional activation in a collision-induced unfolding (CIU) experiment, nIM-MS experimentation can be leveraged to gain greater insight into biomolecular conformation and stability. However, nIM-MS and CIU remain throughput limited due to nonautomated sample preparation and introduction. Here, we explore the use of a RapidFire robotic sample handling system to develop an automated, high-throughput methodology for nMS and CIU. We describe native RapidFire-MS (nRapidFire-MS) capable of performing online desalting and sample introduction in as little as 10 s per sample. When combined with CIU, our nRapidFire-MS approach can be used to collect CIU fingerprints in 30 s following desalting by using size exclusion chromatography cartridges. When compared to nMS and CIU data collected using standard approaches, ion signals recorded by nRapidFire-MS exhibit identical ion collision cross sections, indicating that the same conformational populations are tracked by the two approaches. Our data further suggest that nRapidFire-MS can be extended to study a variety of biomolecular classes, including proteins and protein complexes ranging from 5 to 300 kDa and oligonucleotides. Furthermore, nRapidFire-MS data acquired for biotherapeutics suggest that nRapidFire-MS has the potential to enable high-throughput nMS analyses of biopharmaceutical samples. We conclude by discussing the potential of nRapidFire-MS for enabling the development of future CIU assays capable of catalyzing breakthroughs in protein engineering, inhibitor discovery, and formulation development for biotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brock R Juliano
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Joseph W Keating
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Henry W Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Anna G Anders
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Zhuoer Xie
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
| | - Brandon T Ruotolo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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8
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Liu C. High-throughput MS for intact protein analysis. Bioanalysis 2023; 15:1017-1019. [PMID: 37584366 DOI: 10.4155/bio-2023-0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
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9
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Phung W, Bakalarski CE, Hinkle TB, Sandoval W, Marty MT. UniDec Processing Pipeline for Rapid Analysis of Biotherapeutic Mass Spectrometry Data. Anal Chem 2023; 95:11491-11498. [PMID: 37478487 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in native mass spectrometry (MS) and denatured intact protein MS have made these techniques essential for biotherapeutic characterization. As MS analysis has increased in throughput and scale, new data analysis workflows are needed to provide rapid quantitation from large datasets. Here, we describe the UniDec processing pipeline (UPP) for the analysis of batched biotherapeutic intact MS data. UPP is built into the UniDec software package, which provides fast processing, deconvolution, and peak detection. The user and programming interfaces for UPP read a spreadsheet that contains the data file names, deconvolution parameters, and quantitation settings. After iterating through the spreadsheet and analyzing each file, it returns a spreadsheet of results and HTML reports. We demonstrate the use of UPP to measure the correct pairing percentage on a set of bispecific antibody data and to measure drug-to-antibody ratios from antibody-drug conjugates. Moreover, because the software is free and open-source, users can easily build on this platform to create customized workflows and calculations. Thus, UPP provides a flexible workflow that can be deployed in diverse settings and for a wide range of biotherapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilson Phung
- Microchemistry, Proteomics, and Lipidomics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Corey E Bakalarski
- Microchemistry, Proteomics, and Lipidomics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Trent B Hinkle
- Microchemistry, Proteomics, and Lipidomics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Wendy Sandoval
- Microchemistry, Proteomics, and Lipidomics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Michael T Marty
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Bio5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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Challen B, Morris M, Cramer R. Ultra-High-Throughput and Low-Volume Analysis of Intact Proteins with LAP-MALDI MS. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023. [PMID: 37102730 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput (HTP) mass spectrometry (MS) is a rapidly growing field, with many techniques evolving to accommodate ever increasing sample analysis rates. Many of these techniques, such as AEMS and IR-MALDESI MS, require volumes of at least 20-50 μL for analysis. Here, liquid atmospheric pressure-matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (LAP-MALDI) MS is presented as an alternative for ultra-high-throughput analysis of proteins requiring only femtomole quantities of protein in 0.5 μL droplets. By moving a 384-well microtiter sample plate with a high-speed XY-stage actuator, sample acquisition rates of up to 10 samples per second have been achieved at a data acquisition rate of 200 spectra per scan. It is shown that protein mixture solutions with concentrations of ≤2 μM can be analyzed at this speed, while individual protein solutions can be analyzed at concentrations of ≤0.2 μM. Thus, LAP-MALDI MS provides a promising platform for multiplexed HTP protein analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Challen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6DX, U.K
| | - Michael Morris
- Waters Corporation, Stamford Avenue, Wilmslow SK9 4AX, U.K
| | - Rainer Cramer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6DX, U.K
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