Louisiana State University SoM Proteomics Core

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.