The Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility (PCF) forms part of Dalhousie's CORES(Centralized Operation of Research Equipment and Support) program. The laboratory is located in the Life Sciences Research Institute (LSRI) and offers a full range of proteomics/metabolomics mass spectrometry (MS) based analytical services to Dalhousie’s scientific community and external clients. The laboratory is run by experts with more than 20 years of experience in MS who provide technical expertise and one-on-one support. The experiments and results generated in the lab have contributed to a long list of peer-reviewed publications. Check the FAQs section for commonly asked questions regarding sample submission. For more information on pricing or how to schedule an analysis, contact the PCF at (902) 494-8359 or proteomics@dal.ca​​​.

• Biological and Life Sciences
• Biomedical
• Chemistry and Biochemistry

• Biomedical
• Biotechnology
• Agriculture, Animal Science and Food
• Education
• Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Equipment

The VelosPRO provides ultra-high resolution (maximum resolution > 100,000 at m/z 400) and accurate mass acquisitions (< 1 ppm RMS using internal calibration) for confident structural elucidation. Powered by Orbitrap technology, this high mass accuracy system increases the confidence of peptide identification in com­plex samples by minimizing false positive identification. This systems can perform collision induced dissociation (CID), high energy collisional dissociation (HCD) and electron transfer dissociations (ETD). In combination, these fragmentation modes provide extensive structural information for peptide identification and post-translational modification studies. Precise intact protein analysis, rapid quantitation of low level isobarically-labeled peptides and multiple fragmentation techniques can all be performed in this a single instrument.

The Qtrap5500 LC/MS/MS system (AB SCIEX) is designed to excel at detection and confirmation of low-level analytes, and can be specifically used for quantification, verification and validation of  protein/peptide biomarkers. The QTRAP® 5500 system houses a linear ion trap with ultra-fast scan speeds of up to 20,000 Da/s. The flexibility of this system allows a variety of acquisitionmodes, including high-sensitivity full-scan MS, MS/MS, and MS³ capabilities. High-selectivity can be achieved from true triple quadrupole precursor ion (PI) and neutral loss (NL) scans. Accurate and precise quantitation can be obtained by selected reaction monitoring (SRM, also known as Multiple Reaction Monitoring, MRM) using the high-sensitivity triple quadrupole configuration. Furthermore, the QTRAP 5500 is equipped with a differential ion mobility source. This novel SelexION™ Technology device delivers a new dimension of selectivity and performance for applications requiring the separation of isobaric species, elimination of challenging co-eluting contaminants and reduction of high background noise.

The Agilent 1100 is a robust HPLC system that is interfaced to our MS/MS systems for high flow targeted metabolomic and proteomic workflows. It is equipped with an autosampler, a degassing unit and a quaternary pump module.

The AKTA Pure (GE Life Sciences) is a preparative liquid chromatography system for fast and easy purification of proteins and peptides. This system is used as the first dimension of separation in a typical 2D-LC method where peptides are separated into fractions using strong cation exchange chromatography, prior to LC-MS/MS analysis.

ÄKTA pure is a flexible and intuitive chromatography system for fast purification of proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids from microgram to gram levels of target product.

• Modular system design with a large range of options to allow flexibility in purification of proteins and peptides.
• Customizable system that is easy to upgrade as your research needs develop.
• Reliable system with components and integrated features based on the proven design of ÄKTA avant.
• UNICORN software simplifies your work by providing simple, intuitive, and flexible total system control including drag-and-drop method creation.

The ProGest Protein Digestion Station (Genomic Solutions®) is an automated system for in-gel and in-solution digestion of proteins for LC-MS/MS analysis. All washing, reduction, alkylation and enzymatic digestion steps are automatically performed using programmable temperature incubation cycles. The Methods Editor software allows complete control of every step, so specific programs can be tailored for challenging samples. This fully automated and enclosed system avoids cumbersome manual work and reduces external sources of contamination, such as skin keratins.

The SPD111V (Thermos Savant) vacuum concentrator is used for concentration or drying of biological and non-biological materials in all kinds of solvents. This device is consists of a concentrator, a vapor trap and a vacuum pump and is suitable for molecular biology applications. Peptide extracts are typically concentrated and/or dried-up prior to MS analysis to improve the levels of detection and remove volatile interferents.

The Thermo Scientific Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer combines high-performance quadrupole precursor selection with high-resolution, accurate-mass (HR/AM) Orbitrap™ detection. The Q Exactive™ MS/MS data provides a wide range of qualitative and quantitative applications. Its high scan speed and spectral multiplexing capabilities make it fully compatible with UHPLC and fast chromatography techniques. This instrument is currently connected in-line to a Vanquish UHPLC system and being used for metabolomics and lipidomics workflows.