Proteomics and Molecular Analysis Platform

McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec
What the facility does

Identification and quantification of proteins and other biomolecules using advanced mass spectrometry methods and discovery of novel drug candidates through integrated bioanalytical services.

Areas of expertise

The Proteomics and Molecular Analysis Platform specializes in identifying and quantifying proteins using advanced mass spectrometry techniques to detect changes in health and disease for biomedical and clinical applications. Platform staff have extensive experience in quantitative proteomics, advanced bioinformatics, mapping proteomics data onto biological pathways and protein functional interaction analysis. The Proteomics and Molecular Analysis Platform supports discoveries of new drug molecules and provides top-flight bioanalytical support to the scientific and biotechnology communities. The platform is noted for multidisciplinary expertise in areas such as analytical chemistry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and X-ray crystallography. The platform’s expertise allows handling of a wide range of investigator-initiated research challenges, and this translates into using the platform’s diversified set of instruments for multiple applications: new drug candidate fragment-based screening (NMR), protein target characterization (proteomics), drug and target structures (X-ray), LC-MS support for chemistry, LC-MS/MS for off target effects, LC-MS/MS-MRM assays for drugs from cells, plasma and tissue.

Research services

Protein identification, including proteins from tissues, biological fluids and gels; protein characterization, including assessment of protein mutations, variations and deletions; post-transitional modifications, including detection and quantification of post-translational modifications including phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, ubiquitylation; protein quantification, including Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM), and Data Independent Acquisition (DIA) and high-resolution quantification methods; and consultation, sample preparation, data interpretation and bioinformatics analysis. Targeted small molecule analysis, bioanalytical and biophysical services including fragment-based screening (NMR) and analysis of X-ray crystal structures.

Sectors of application
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
EquipmentFunction
Thermo Fisher Scientific Ultimate 3000 HPLC system and Orbitrap Fusion Mass SpectrometerHigh Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Quadrupole-Orbitrap-Linear ion trap hybrid. Ultra-sensitive protein identification, characterization and quantification.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Ultimate 3000 HPLC system and TSQ Quantiva Triple-Stage Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Highly sensitive quantitative assays for peptides, steroids, neurotransmitters, etc.
Shimadzu Liquid Chromatography (LC) system and SCIEX TripleTOF 5600 mass spectrometer Triple quadrupole Time-of-Flight (TripleTOF). Shotgun lipidomics and high-resolution quantitative methods for peptides, steroids, neurotransmitters, etc.
Bruker amaZon SL Mass SpectrometerRoutine mass analysis for synthetic samples.

Bruker EVOQ LC-TQ Mass Spectrometer

Triple quadrupole system for liquid chromatography. Atmospheric ionization allows fastest highly sensitive quantitative analysis in various applications.
Bruker UltrafleXtreme MALDI-TOF/TOF Mass SpectrometerMatrix assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Spatial distribution of metabolites. LC-MALDI proteomics, high-resolution tissue imaging, top-down sequencing.
Bruker Ascend NMR (400 MHz) SpectrometerNuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. Routine analysis of chemical entities. Automated sample changer. Repetition time (RT) and Multinuclear Broadband Fluorine Observe Plus (BBFOPLUS) probes. Multinuclear broadband cryoprobe.
Bruker LC-NMR (600 MHz)/MS instrumentInstrument for hyphenated liquid chromatography-nuclear magnetic resonance mass spectrometry. Characterization of natural products, metabolomics and fragment-based screening
Bruker D8 QUEST X-ray diffraction systemEffective analysis of extremely small crystals. Diffraction pattern of powder (non-crystalline).
  • McGill University
  • Montreal Heart Institute
  • University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM)