Mass Spectrometry
Core Director: David L. Hachey, Ph.D.
The objectives of the Mass Spectrometry Facility Core are to provide cost effective, state-of-the-art instrumentation to members of the Core Center for structural analysis of biological molecules and for qualitative and quantitative assays of xenobiotic agents and metabolites in tissues and physiologic fluids. The facilities and personnel are provided to the Core Center by the Vanderbilt University Mass Spectrometry Research Center. The Mass Spectrometry Facility Core offers several distinct advantages to users. Skilled personnel support sophisticated instrumentation and techniques in a modern, professionally managed facility. Knowledgeable specialists in mass spectrometry train users in the theoretical and practical aspects of mass spectrometry and assist investigators in methods development, assay validation, and data interpretation. Facility core personnel collaborate with investigators to solve unique research problems requiring mass spectrometry. The Facility Core provides services that are vital to several research programs, including studies in enzymatic oxidation and detoxication of xenobiotic agents, oxidative damage of proteins and DNA, studies on mutagenesis and environmental pathology, structural and conformational dynamics of proteins, and detection and quantitation of modified proteins and nucleotides.