The Mass Spectrometry Facility provides analytical support for the Chemistry Department and other academic departments at LSU, researchers at other universities, and customers from private industry. The facility offers a broad range of services with several high performance mass spectrometers (listed below). This facility is staffed by Dr. Azeem Hasan (director), Dr. Dan Pu (research associate), and supported by graduate research assistants. Instruments are located in rooms B-9 and B-24 Choppin Hall (phone 225-578-3575).

Mass Spectrometers

• The Varian Saturn 2200 gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer is used for routine GC separations and electron ionization (EI) or chemical ionization (CI) mass spectrometry of semi-volatiles. This ion trap GC-MS instrument was purchased in 2001 using Louisiana Board of Regents (BOR) funds and is used by a wide-variety of researchers for low-resolution analysis of volatile and semi-volatile organics.

• The Agilent 6210 electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometer is used for high accuracy mass analysis in support of the synthetic chemists (organic, inorganic and biological) at LSU. Funding for the Agilent 6210 was awarded by NSF in 2007 as part of a cyber instrument center at LSU (Grant No. CHE-0639242). The role of the instrument is high accuracy mass analysis in support of the synthetic chemists (organic, inorganic and biological) at LSU and replaces the Finnigan MAT 900 Sector MS that was recently retired from the Facility. The instrument was installed at LSU in the summer of 2007 and is now fully operational as a facility instrument.

• The Applied Biosystems QSTAR XL quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer is equipped with electrospray (ESI), nanospray, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and orthogonal MALDI ion sources. The system is also equipped with an Dionex UltiMate 3000 Plus nano LC system with UV detector, FAMOS WP auto sampler, Probot fraction collector and plate spotter. The QSTAR instrument was funded by the National Institutes of Health in 2003 (S10 RR17859), and the instrument was installed in 2004. 

• The Bruker Omniflex MALDI mass spectrometer is the mainstay for MALDI analyses of peptides, nucleic acids, proteins, organic polymers, and some higher molecular weight organics. The instrument was acquired in 2002 Louisiana State University funds.

• A Bruker Ultraflex Extreme MALDI TOF/TOF mass spectrometer was funded by NIH in 2009 (S10 RR024520) and the instrument will be installed at LSU in 2010.

Faculty Contact

Prof. Kermit Murray

225-578-3458

Choppin 331

Dr. Kermit Murray is the primary faculty contact for the Mass Spectrometry Facility. He joined the LSU faculty in 2001 after seven years on the faculty of Emory University. Dr. Murray has more than 25 years of experience in mass spectrometry and ion chemistry. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado and went on to post doctoral positions at Rice University and at Texas A&M University. Dr. Murray’s research is in the area of instrument development and applications of biological and environmental mass spectrometry.

Staff Scientists

Dr. Azeem Hasan
225-578-3389
Choppin B-16

Dr. Azeem Hasan, the Mass Spectrometry Facility Director, received his Ph.D. in 1995 from the University of Karachi, Pakistan. He joined the staff of the facility in May, 2006 and has more than 15 years of experience in the field of mass spectrometry. Prior to moving to LSU, Dr. Hasan was manager of the MS facility at the University of New Mexico (UNM). At UNM and other appointments, Dr. Hasan has experience in a wide variety of analytes ranging from small molecules to complex macromolecules including intact proteins, protein digests, oligonucleotides, carbohydrates, pesticides, human metabolites, and natural products.

Dr. Dan Pu
225-578-8547
Choppin B-24

Dr. Dan Pu received her Ph.D. in 2007 from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa under the direction of Dr. Carolyn Cassady (although she is now an avid LSU Tiger fan). She joined the LSU Mass Spectrometry Facility in September 2007. Dr. Pu has extensive experience with peptides analysis by mass spectrometers. Her Ph.D. work was aimed at exploring the coordination of Cr-bound chromodulin and investigating the fragmentation of peptides containing amino acid residues with basic side chains and amino acid residues containing hydroxyl side chains.  Prior to her Ph.D. studies in USA, she acquired her Master degree in Beijing Mass Spectrometry Center in the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. She has extensive experience with the analysis of a wide range of compounds ranging from small synthetic molecules to large macromolecules including peptides, carbohydrates, and intact proteins.

Fees

Rates are hourly with a one hour minimum per sample (unless user run). The Varian Saturn and Bruker Omniflex are available to trained users for hourly work. Please contact Dr. Hasan for information on user training and certification.

Links

Murray Group Server

Cyber Mass Spectrometry Server