Analytical biochemistry Platform

The BIAcore 3000, acquired in January 2008, is a unit of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) which studies the interactions between two molecules, a ligand and an analyte.These molecules must be larger than 200 Da. Typically the ligands are proteins, nucleic acids or polysaccharides. The ligand is immobilized covalently on a support called "sensorchip". If an analyte flowing near the ligand has sufficient affinity for the latter, they will join. This combination produces a quantifiable signal. The device can measure the amount of bound analyte (affinity) and the rates of association and dissociation (kinetic parameters). This interaction is studied in real time and without marking its position depends on the mass of the molecules studied. Some examples of applications: interactions antibody / antigen, enzyme / substrate, receptor / effector ...

The coupling LC-MS/MS, acquired in February 2010, consists of a HPLC system and a mass spectrometer. The HPLC (nano and micro columns) to separate the components of a sample and analyze real-time mass spectrometry, which allows rapid identification of molecules present in the sample. The molecules may be proteins, peptides, metabolites. The mass spectrometer is an analytical instrument for measuring the mass of a molecule, as well as its fragments generated by collision. We can then reconstruct the structure of this molecule. Some examples of applications: protein identification, peptide sequencing, structural identification of small molecules, detection and assay of a known molecule from a complex sample. 

LC-MS/MS  (Ultimate 3000 RSLC - Dionex & MicrOTOF-QII - Bruker)		BIAcore 3000  (GE Healthcare Life Sciences)

Networks

The platform is part of the Inra Mass Spectrometry platform 'MassProt'INRA'.

Funding

• LC-MS/MS coupling was funded by CPER;
• Biacore was funded by INRA, PACA Regional Council and the University of Nice.