Liquid Chromatography - Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer System

Project Summary St. Mary's University is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) located in San Antonio, TX, with 41% of undergraduates being supported by Pell Grants over the last 3 years. St. Mary's has a strong history of preparing students for successful careers in the biomedical sciences. To enhance the research and educational biomedical training of undergraduates in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at St. Mary's, a liquid chromatograph – triple quadrupole mass spectrometer system (LC-MS/MS) is requested. Triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS is the gold standard for small molecule analysis, peptide and protein analysis, and metabolomics. The requested instrument is a Thermo Scientific Vanquish Core with TSQ Fortis and Chromeleon software. This robust system provides superior selectivity and sensitivity for analytical applications. The primary educational activities will be in Biochemistry and Analytical Chemistry courses, while also being incorporated into Instrumental Analysis, Forensic Chemistry, Enzyme Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, and Environmental Chemistry courses. Research activities focus on using the LC- MS/MS system to characterize self-assembled co-ordinate complexes, metabolic profiling, and small molecule analysis. The proposed instrumentation has the strong support of the institution, including support for infrastructure, supplies and maintenance.