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Mass Spectroscopy resources located at Shriners Hospital for Children
and Massachusetts Institute of Technology provide state-of-the-art
instrumentation for separating, identifying, and quantifying stable
isotope metabolites as well as quantifying protein synthesis. The
NMR facility located at MGH provides a two-dimensional high field
(9.4 tesla) NMR system to perform noninvasive assessments in fluids
and tissues and to develop methodologies for imaging apoptosis and
monitoring mitochondrial function. The following instruments and equipment
comprise the Mass and NMR Spectroscopy Facilities within the MGH Burn
Research Center.
Mass Spectroscopy Resources at SHC
 GC/MS
– gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) instrumentation
that includes HP5970 GC/5890 MSD, HP6890 GC/5973 MSD, a Finnigan
trace MS system and a Finnigan trace MAT breath mass spectrometer
used to measure isotopic abundance of stable isotope-labeled substrates
– amino acids, fatty acids and glucose. Expired air is also
measured to quantify the rate of substrate oxidation.
GC/C/MS – an online gas chromatography/combustion/isotope
ratio mass spectrometer instrumentation that includes a Finnigan
DELTA plus mass spectrometer used for ultra trace analysis of low
abundance, stable isotope-labeled compounds.
LC/MSD – a liquid chromatography/mass selective detector
Agilent 1100 series used for the analysis of polymers - specific
proteins and peptides – and specific amino acids such as citrulline.
MALDI MS - a Bruker Daltonics matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time
of flight-mass spectrometry with automated 2-D gel electrophoresis
allows the investigator to quickly screen a large number (50-100
samples per day) of digested peptides and proteins.
Q-TOF - one of the newest mass spectrometers is the most recent
addition to our Mass Spectroscopy Facility. A micromass liquid chromatography-electrospray
ionization-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometer, this instrument
provides de novo peptide sequencing and in our Center’s application
the analysis of post-translational modification of proteins and
peptides such as INS and Akt.
Mass Spectroscopy Resources at MIT
An additional component of the Mass Spectroscopy Facility is located
at MIT. The instrumentation at MIT includes a JEOL GC/Mate system
for accurate mass determination. The MIT component focuses on development
of novel techniques for the design of metabolic isotopic tracer
studies and for the analysis of tracer data.
 NMR
at MGH
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a noninvasive, high-resolution
molecular imaging technology that allows the investigators to assess
key metabolites in the TCA cycle in tissue extracts and using magnetic
angle spinning, in the whole tissue. Using state-of-the-art NMR
methods and instrumentation at MGH, the investigators are able to
assess mitochondrial energy couple in vivo.
The investigators are also able to monitor by NMR imaging apoptotic
cell death, a fundamental mechanism and primary factor important
in inflammatory disease and possibly burn injury.
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