Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics

Scientific Overview

General Overview

Greg Cavey heads the proteomics lab, which can identify the individual proteins found in cells. The mixture of proteins from a large number of identical cells is separated into individual proteins by a technique called electrophoresis, which is based on the electrical charge on each molecule. Individual proteins can then be collected for analysis and identification on a mass spectrometer instrument, which produces a unique pattern of fragments for any given protein molecule. This reveals what proteins are present in the particular cell. The amount of a protein in the cell can also be determined, which allows researchers to compare normal and cancer cells and identify which proteins have changed in abundance. Such data give us clues to what proteins are important in a cancer cell and allow us to target those molecules for further study.