Equipment only grant for a MALDI Mass Spectrometer with MS/MS capabilities and associated equipment. (360G-Wellcome-079272_Z_06_Z)

A modern MALDI MS/MS mass spectrometer would underpin a major part of the research at the Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of St Andrews, a collaboration between the RAE Grade 5 Schools of Biology and Chemistry. These projects are described in this submission and collaborators forms. There is a strong theme of fighting infection by studying the molecular basis of disease and the identification of novel therapeutic targets. Projects requiring MALDI-TOF MS (MS/MS) include: (i) iden tification of host proteins interacting with viral proteins in adenovirus, bunyavirus, paramyxovirus and picornavirus infections, using immunoprecipitations and TAP-tag type strategies; (ii) investigation of the mode of action of anti-fungal peptides, by examining their synergy using a combined transcriptomics and proteomics approach; (iii) the Scottish Structural Proteomics Facility (SSPF), which is using high throughput gene expression, purification and crystallisation to elucidate the structu res of proteins involved in microbial pathogenesis, biosynthetic pathways and archaeal virus proteins; (iv) investigation of archaeal DNA damage protection, detection and repair mechanisms, by identification of the purified protein complexes involved and proteins whose expression levels change upon exposure to damage agents, and (v) definition of the SUMO and NEDD8 proteomes and quantification of changes in these post-translational modifications upon different stimuli.