Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 10:15:46 -0800 (PST)
From: "M. Hackett" <mhackett@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: MS/MS sequencing (fwd)
In-Reply-To: <Pine.SGI.3.95.970107092713.1688A-100000@medusa.bioc.aecom.yu.edu>
To: Recipients of ABRF List <abrf@aecom.yu.edu>
To the anonymous greybeard who had concerns about students: most of
what I've learned about protein chemistry has come from four "greybeards"
well known to you and others in this forum, at least three of whom are
also involved with
core labs and the ABRF. Those folks all recognized the
utility of MS/MS early in the game, and helped me make the transition from
an instrumental background to biochemistry. It seems I really
struck a nerve with the student comment, but to the extent it brought out
some interesting opposing views, perhaps something positive came from it.
I would take your other comments one step further, and say the performance
of
the
instruments is now so good that the most important
advancements are now clearly going to be made by people who have the best
handle on front end issues: sample handling, scaling down methods,
reducing background signals from junk in our samples etc. To cite one
specific example--the intrinsic noise level in my new ESI triple quad is
so low
that none of the sample handling or inlet methods used in my lab can make
full use of that sensitivity. Those of you with even more sensitive
devices,
e.g. ion
traps, are in the same boat, except more so. The "greybeards" in
particular
are in a unique position, with their wealth of sample handling experience,
to address these issues.
Murray Hackett
Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Box 357610
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington 98195
(206) 616-4586
fax (206) 685-3252