Equipment: Acquisition of an ultra-high resolution timsTOF Mass Spectrometry coupled to a nano-elute ultra high performance liquid chorography system (UHPLC) (Track 1)

An award is made to University of California (UC), Merced to acquire a timsTOF Pro 2 Mass Spectrometer coupled to a liquid chromatography system to enable biomolecular research into host-microbe interactions. UC Merced is a Hispanic-Serving Institution by design located in the heart of California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV). The student population reflects that of the local community where students are primarily Hispanic or from other underrepresented groups (URM) in STEM and are largely first-generation undergraduates (>75%). As such, this instrument enhances the training and education of UC Merced students by granting them access to state-of-the-art technology that enables the analysis of complex biological samples. To facilitate the training mission, the instrument and collected data is used in undergraduate and graduate classes. The instrument is also available to researchers at other institutions located across the SJV as it represents the only high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) of its type in the region. The instrument and supported projects will enhance local workshops and research exchanges between partner institutions to train users in data acquisition and analysis. HRMS instruments, like the timsTOF Pro 2, are key pieces of research equipment that allow for investigators to characterize and explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of both small molecules and proteins. As such, the timsTOF Pro 2 enhances the capacity of researchers to advance current understanding of biological processes by leveraging metabolomic and proteomic approaches. For example, research using this instrument is advancing current work investigating how microbes interact with their hosts in future climates, developing biomarkers for disease, and helping inform local restoration efforts across marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The instrument represents a significant advancement in mass spectrometry analysis (resolution and speed) that will enable the separation, detection, and identification of proteins and metabolites quantitatively and qualitatively across host-microbe systems. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.