Protein open-access liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Each year increasing numbers of proteins are submitted for routine characterization by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). This paper reports a solution that transforms routine LC/MS analysis of proteins into a fully automated process that significantly reduces analyst intervention. The solution developed, protein open-access (OA) LC/MS, consists of web-enabled sample submission and registration, automated data processing, data interpretation, and report generation. Sample submissions and results are recorded in a LIMS that utilizes an Oracle database. The protein sequence is captured during the sample submission process, stored in the database, and utilized to determine the theoretical protein molecular weight. This calculated mass is used to set the parameters for transformation of the mass-to-charge spectra to the mass domain and evaluate the presence or absence of the desired protein. Three protein OA-LC/MS instruments have been deployed in our facility to support protein characterization, purification, and modification efforts.