The University of Toledo is advancing its capabilities to develop vaccines, identify the impacts of microplastic pollution and combat the effects of harmful algal toxins in western Lake Erie with a new instrument heading to Wolfe Hall.<\/p>\n
The National Science Foundation recently awarded Dr. Kristin Kirschbaum, director of the UToledo\u2019s Instrumentation Center, nearly $1 million to purchase a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer with high-speed imaging capability called a MALDI-MS. With a ten-fold increase in spatial resolution over the model it replaces, the device is expected to open valuable new opportunities to student and faculty researchers across the University.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new instrument will allow researchers to answer scientific questions that simply cannot be addressed with our current technology,\u201d Kirschbaum said. \u201cThis technology is typically only available at research institutions that are much larger than UToledo, so we’re especially excited for our students to access it. This experience will enrich their educations as they go on to graduate school, medical school or a career in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals or environmental science.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scientists use mass spectrometers to analyze the makeup of a sample.<\/p>\n
The new mass spectrometer goes beyond the standard capability of such an instrument by facilitating mass spectrometry imaging. This allows scientists to see not only what molecules make up a sample, but also where they are located within that sample.<\/p>\n
The result is a chemical map that can reveal important information, Kirschbaum said, such as how deeply a drug penetrates the skin.<\/p>\n
Twenty primary research groups and regional collaborators are initially expected to utilize the new instrument, including those of Dr. Maria Coleman of the College of Engineering, Dr. Erin Prestwich of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Dr. Dragan Isailovic of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, each of whom join Kirschbaum as co-awardees on the grant from the National Science Foundation.<\/p>\n
Kirschbaum expects the new instrument to facilitate research in areas ranging from cancer and cardiovascular disease to drug development and tissue engineering, in addition to pressing environmental challenges including microplastic pollution, pesticide accumulation and forever-chemical contamination.<\/p>\n
The new mass spectrometer is also notable for its remote access capabilities, enabling researchers from institutions lacking advanced instrumentation to ship samples to staff and then operate the device using remote-control software and live video.<\/p>\n