Abstract
CF-37 The UCLA Molecular Instrumentation Center (MIC) is a state-of-the-art campus-wide facility that maintains modern instrumentation for molecular characterizations (www.mic.ucla.edu). The UCLA MIC is composed of five divisions including the W. M. Keck Proteomics Center and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. The equipment for the UCLA Proteomics Center includes Bio-Rad Protean IEF and Criterion and Protean Plus Dodeca electrophoresis cells for 2-D gels; Bio-Rad Fx Fluorescence Imager and GS-800 Densitometer for imaging; Bio-Rad Quantity One and NonLinear Dynamics Progenesis SameSpots softwares for quantitative gel analysis; DIGILAB Genomic Solutions ProPicII spotcutter; Thermo LTQ FT MS with Eksigent NanoLC-2D HPLC and Thermo LTQ Orbitrap XL MS with Eksigent NanoLC-2D HPLC. The Proteomic Bioinformatics Resources include Census Quantitative software for quantitating MS labeling experiments; SEQUEST and Mascot Search Engines for protein identification; Scaffold Software for validating, organizing, interpreting and comparing MS database search results from one or more search engines and PEAKS software to do de novo sequencing and characterize mutations and post-translational modifications of proteins/peptides. The MS Laboratory is located next door and works closely with the Proteomics Center. Their equipment includes Applied Biosystems-MDS Sciex 4000 Q Trap with Autosampler; Applied Biosystems Q-Star Elite Quad-TOF Hybrid LC/MS/MS system; Applied Biosystems Voyager-DE STR MALDI–TOF; Thermo Finnigan LCQ Deca Ion Trap MS with Autosampler and PDA; Agilent 6890-5975 GC-MS with Autosampler and Waters LCT Premier with ACQUITY UPLC and autosampler. The UCLA Proteomics Center and MS Laboratory have five Ph.D. level staff members who are experts in 2-D gel and other electrophoresis, sample preparation, bioinformatics and mass spectrometry. The staff is responsible for operating, maintaining and upgrading the equipment, training users, offering guidance in sample preparation and experiment design and providing services. The MIC is available to researchers at UCLA, other academic institutions and commercial enterprises.