A new mass spectrometer at the University of Edinburgh will let researchers see the molecular machinery inside cells in unprecedented detail—mapping the protein complexes that drive everything from photosynthesis to neurodegeneration. Proteins rarely work alone; they assemble into complexes with other proteins and small molecules, and their function depends on exactly which partners are present and what chemical modifications they carry. Current instruments cannot resolve these large, dynamic assemblies or track their modifications with enough speed and sensitivity. This next-generation machine will capture those details for the first time, allowing scientists to ask questions that were previously impossible to answer. The research is fundamental science—it aims to understand how life works at the molecular level, not to produce a specific product or therapy. But that understanding could eventually reshape how we tackle major challenges. Knowing how protein complexes form in neurons may reveal new targets for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Engineering the photosynthetic protein complex could boost crop yields. Designing proteins with unnatural building blocks might replace unsustainable chemical processes. The instrument will also be shared with other universities and industry partners across Scotland and northern England, amplifying its impact.
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Proteins are the workhorses of life; they are the molecules that carrying out most of the essential functions inside our cells that keep us alive. Many of these proteins don't work alone; they associate together with other proteins and small molecules (such as vitamins and lipids) in intricate partnerships called protein complexes. Additionally, the biological function of protein complexes is often tightly controlled by the presence or absence of specific partners within the complex or chemical modifications on key proteins. To fully understand how life works at the molecular level we need scientific techniques to study protein complexes to: Identify the individual members within a complex. Understand how these complexes are assembled and how different members of the complex interact with each other. Determine how the activity of a complex is controlled and regulated. Mass Spectrometry (MS) is one analytical technique which has proven to be a powerful tool for addressing these challenges. New technology advances in the last few years now mean that the latest MS instruments can study larger protein complexes with more speed and sensitivity as well as gain more detailed information about the chemical modifications of individual proteins within complexes. Here we invest in the latest-generation mass spectrometer at the University of Edinburgh. The enhanced features of this new instrument will enable us to perform experiments that have previously been impossible, enabling us to break boundaries in biological research. Our team comprises research technical professionals (RTPs) as well as academics/researchers from all career stages. Our RTPs are expert in using mass spectrometry to create new approaches to study biological molecules and have the required technical skills and experience to realise the full potential from the new capabilities of this next-generation instrument. The mass spectrometer will be housed in the School of Chemistry’s Scottish Resource Centre for Advanced Mass Spectrometry (SIRCAMS), a facility that has been at the forefront of biological mass spectrometry for two decades. Researchers will work closely with RTPs to apply this new technology to help understand how proteins and protein complexes work in areas which are key strategic priorities for BBSRC: e.g. improving our understanding of health and healthy aging, e.g. by investigating the formations of large protein complexes that occur in neurons and how these contribute to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. developing innovation in renewable resources and clean growth, e.g. to study proteins engineered to include unnatural building blocks that can perform chemical reactions not seen in nature, as an alternative to traditional less sustainable approaches. advancing research in sustainable agriculture and food production, e.g. to study and engineering the key protein complex in plants that performs photosynthesis in order to increase crop productivity. After installation, we will make this new technology available to the wider research communities, e.g. other academics institutions in Scotland and the North of England as well as partners from industry, ensuring maximum wide-reaching national impact. In implementing this project, we will train and mentor our RTPs in advanced technical skills and support and educate the next generation of bioscience researchers.
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