Purchase of an HPLC ESI Mass Spectrometer

<p>With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program, the Department of Chemistry at the University of California in Irvine will acquire a High Performance Liquid Chromatograph-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometer. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including a) the separation and analysis of diastereomeric polysiliconates and the evaluation of affinity supports for the separation of oligonucleotides and small peptides (Shea); b) the synthesis of beta-sheet mimics for protein recognition and function research (Nowick); c) novel strategies and mechanistic studies for natural product synthesis (Overman); d) the synthesis of highly oxygenated macrolide natural products with potential cytotoxic and anti-fungal applications (Rychnovsky); and e) the synthesis of dityrosine and ditryptophan crosslinked peptides as protein structure probes (Van Vranken). Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS) is an extremely powerful technique used for the separation and analysis of complex mixtures. The research that this instrument will enable will have a significant impact in the areas of biochemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry, among others.</p>