| dc.description.abstract | With the trend in miniaturization in scientific research, nanomaterial use in various disciplines has become widespread. Proteomic research is a distinct area beginning to utilize nanomaterials for different research methods. There are several issues inherent to nanomaterials use that must be overcome to ensure their widespread use is successful in proteomics based applications. Of these issues size control, surface chemistry control and applications efficiencies using nanomaterials are the most prominent issues hindering advancements. In current studies, nanoparticle synthesis utilizing polymer based encapsulation is a method that allows for a simple synthesis, size control, variety of surface chemistry, and still affords ionization efficiencies and enhancements on par with other nanoparticle syntheses. Therefore, polymer based encapsulation techniques are used throughout this study of nanomaterial based proteomic applications.
Application efficiencies for nanomaterials in proteomic methods is a two-fold process: analytical methods and proteomic methods. Initially in this study, ionization efficiencies are investigated in mass spectrometry based analytical methods when using polymer encapsulated nanoparticles. This study was performed to ensure there is no significant degradation in efficiency when introducing the encapsulating polymers onto the surface of the nanoparticle during synthesis. Results showed that polymer introduction onto the surface of the nanoparticles did not interfere or significantly degrade the efficiencies with the mass spectrometry based analysis of standard peptide based samples. Based on these findings polymer encapsulated nanoparticles were exploited for experiments to enhance proteomic based research methods.
The polymer-encapsulated nanoparticles are also successfully utilized in applications for specific proteomic based methods that require a robust yet sensitive platform needed in the harsh environments common in proteomic based research. Specifically, these nanoparticles were shown to function as a selective capture platforms for posttranslational modifications on proteins and peptides commonly found in nature. | en |
