# Instrumentation Development: MS Array for Quantitative Proteomics

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $346,694

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The study of human diseases at the molecular level has benefitted greatly by rapid advances in technology for
genome sequencing. However, impediments for effective utilization of current and future genomic information
relates to challenges associated with functional assignment of genes. The field of proteomics has arisen to
help address this need, since proteins are the predominant functional molecules in cells. Measurement of
proteomic content, including protein expression levels, posttranslational modifications and protein interactions
can yield critical insight relevant to gene function. The major challenges in proteomics research relate to the
complexity of samples and the wide dynamic range over which measurements must be performed. In general
terms, these demands are far greater than encountered in genomics since, protein abundances can vary much
more than genes do, proteins have much wider diversity in physical properties than genes do, and proteins
have no means for signal amplification, nor analogous Watson-Crick base pairing as genes do. Thus, the field
of proteomics employs technology largely based on mass spectrometry measurements of peptides since these
measurements have shown capabilities for large-scale protein identification and quantitation. However, since
each protein can produce on average, 50-100 peptides, measurements of peptide mixtures are far more
complex than measurements on proteins. In addition, current data-dependent measurement strategies lead to
significant compression of achievable dynamic range, since such MS/MS measurements are only normally
feasible on peptides observed with higher abundance. Ideally, every peptide in a proteome-wide digest would
be subjected to MS/MS to gain maximal information from proteomics experiments. This project will advance
capabilities for large-scale proteomics through the development of a mass spectrometer array capable of high
resolution MS/MS acquisition an order of magnitude faster than current state-of-the art technology. The MS
array technology to be developed under this project will involve ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry
that will yield higher mass resolving power, higher mass measurement accuracy as well as higher throughput
acquisition. As a result, an order of magnitude or more peptides can be identified during a given experiment
which will dramatically increase the information content of each proteomics analysis as well as the dynamic
range of proteins that can be studied.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9847971
- **Project number:** 5R01GM097112-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** James Edward Bruce
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $346,694
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-04-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9847971

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9847971, Instrumentation Development: MS Array for Quantitative Proteomics (5R01GM097112-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9847971. Licensed CC0.

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