MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer System to Enhance Multidisciplinary Research and Education at Marshall University

This award is jointly supported by the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the Division of Chemistry Research Instrumentation program, and the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate Office of Strategic Initiatives. Marshall University is acquiring a Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system to support the research of Professor Leslie M. Frost and her colleagues Lauren R. Waugh, Rosalynn Quinones and Shin A. Moteki. This instrument facilitates research across various fields, including organic chemistry, biochemistry, forensics, and pharmaceutics and enhances the capabilities for separation, quantification, and identification of both small and large molecules. The LC-MS/MS system is a high-resolution, highly sensitive and precise instrument intended for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of diverse molecular classes. It is designed to identify unknown small molecules, characterize organic compounds and organocatalysts, and analyze complex mixtures of metabolites, peptides, or modified proteins. The system serves both educational and research users, enabling measurements over multiple sample types. The instrument offers practical training and research opportunities for numerous senior personnel, graduate students, and undergraduates while also fostering collaborative research and educational projects with nearby institutions such as the University of Charleston, and many students in West Virginia and the surrounding Tri-State Area. The types of analysis supported by this instrument enhance organic chemistry research by enabling investigators to characterize modified peptides and proteins in disease states, identify undeclared and adulterated drugs in weight-loss supplements, explore xylazine metabolism in human liver microsomes (with and without opioid co-exposure), and design/construct renewable or recoverable catalysts. The instrument also enhances Marshall University’s spectrometry facilities by its integration into the curricula of courses and offers direct training to students and further develops their technical skills, allowing them to actively improve their understanding of applied science by backing up lecture content. 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.