Shared Facilities: Proteomics
The University of Louisville Core Proteomics Laboratory, directed
by Dr. Jon Klein, began operation
in 1998 and was one of the first laboratories in the nation equipped
for high throughput proteomic analysis based on laboratory automation.
The Core Proteomics Laboratory is uniquely equipped with robotic
workstations that increase gel throughput, image analysis, spot
excision, in-gel peptide digestion, and MALDI-MS sample preparation.
The automated workstations include a Propic gel spot picker that
visualizes and excises spots from fluorescence stained gels and
a ProGest station that automates in-gel trypsin digestion in a
96 or 384 well format. The laboratory also contains a ProMS robot
that automates the desalting, concentrating and spotting of peptide
samples onto MALDI targets (Genomics Solutions, Inc.) thereby allowing
fully integrated high-throughput analysis of protein samples. MALDI-MS
analysis is performed using a Micromass, Inc. TOF-Spec 2E. Recently,
the laboratory instituted automated analysis of high-resolution
two-dimensional gels using Progenesis software from Nonlinear Dynamics,
Inc. The Progenesis software significantly decreases analysis time
of two-dimensional gels, thereby accelerating throughput. A chargeback
structure is in place.