Purchase of a High Resolution Mass Spectrometer with HPLC for Shared Use

With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program, the Department of Chemistry at the State University of New York in Buffalo will acquire a High Resolution Mass Spectrometer with HPLC. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including a) the synthesis and development of new catalytic methods; b) development of hydrogen-bonded molecular duplexes with sequence-specificity and adjustable stability; c) design of catalysts for hydrolytic cleavage of nucleid acids; and d) studies of the structure and function of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase ribozyme. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique used to probe intimate structural details and to obtain the molecular compositions of a vast array of organic, bioorganic, and organometallic molecules. The results from these studies will have an impact in a number of areas including biochemistry and development of catalysts for industrial processes.