Co-Directors: Dr. Chun-Hung Chan and Dr. Erin Harmon

Mission Statement: 
The goal of the proteomics core is to provide assistance with gel-based protein separation, western immunoblotting, and gel/membrane imaging. The core can provide user assistance with a host of techniques.

Current techniques available:

Two Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis
2D gel electrophoresis separates complex protein samples based on the isoelectric charge and molecular mass of a protein. The proteomics core utilizes IPG strips in a Biorad IEF Cell Instrument for first dimension separations, with 7 cm, 11 cm, 17 cm, and 24 cm lengths available. For second dimension separation, the core can run up to 12 mini-format (Biorad Mini-Protean Dodeca), 6 standard-format (Biorad Protean 2 XL multigel), and large-format (GE Healthcare DALTsix) gels simultaneously.

Difference In-Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE)
DIGE is a mutliplex 2D electrophoresis technique that employs charge- and mass-matched fluorescent dyes to permit the separation of two protein samples within the same gel. DIGE a differential display technique that is most suited to looking at changes in protein expression between two or more samples.

Multiplex Fluorescent Western Blotting
The proteomics core can provide assistance with singleplex and multiplex fluorescent western immunoblotting.

Blue-Native or Colorless-Native Electrophoresis
Blue-Native (BN-PAGE) or Colorless-Native (CN-PAGE) electrophoresis techniques can be used to separate protein complexes in their native state. Protein complexes separated using these techniques maintain function and permit biochemical assays to be run in-gel. Protein complexes can also be separated into their constituent proteins by running a second dimension SDS-PAGE gel.

Spot Picking
The proteomics core utilizes a GE Healthcare Ettan Spot Picking Robot for the excision of protein plugs from 1D- and 2D- polyacrylamide gels.

Fluorescent Imaging
The proteomics core operates a GE Healthcare Typhoon Trio+ multi-mode fluorescent imaging system equipped with 3 lasers at 488 nm, 532 nm, and 635 nm. This instrument is also equipped with 6 emission filters covering a wide range of popular fluorescent dyes in common use today.