This suite of tools enables the development of new materials based on the folding and assembly of sequence-defined, bioinspired polymers (including peptides, nucleic acids, and peptoids). Ron Zuckermann, who created the field of peptoid synthesis, is available to advise on related projects.
AAPPTec Apex 396 Peptide Synthesizer
The Aapptec is a robotic multiple peptide synthesizer, capable of synthesizing up to 40 peptides or peptoids in parallel via solid-phase synthesis. Typical scale is on 100 mg of resin/vessel.
Gyros Protein Technologies Symphony X Synthesizers
The Symphony X instruments perform automated solid-phase synthesis of up to 24 peptides or peptoids in parallel, on a scale of 10 mg up to 2 grams of resin in 10 or 40 mL reaction vessels. The instrument is equipped with twelve pairs of independently operating reaction vessels with IR heating for one reaction vessel. For peptide synthesis the instrument has realtime UV monitoring capability and can perform preactivation methods. Typical peptide chemistry is Fmoc with HCTU mediated couplings. The systems are configured with optimized methods for rapid peptide and peptoid synthesis.
Gyros Protein Technologies Prelude Synthesizer
The Prelude is an automated synthesizer that can synthesize 6 peptides or peptoids in parallel, on a scale of 10 mg up to 2 grams of resin. Its flexible design enables a variety of solid-phase synthesis chemistries and the inclusion of non-standard building blocks.
Analytical HPLC and UPLC
Varian HPLC and Waters UPLC analytical systems are used to analyze small molecules, peptides, peptoids and proteins produced at the Foundry. These systems are configured for reverse-phase chromatography (C4 and C18).
Preparative HPLC
The suite of Waters and Varian HPLCs is used to purify small molecules, peptides, peptoids and proteins produced at the Foundry by reverse-phase chromatography (C4 and C18). Typical scale is 1 to 100 mg of product.
Waters UPLC-MS Mass Spectrometer
The Waters Acquity UPLC combined with Waters SQD2 single quadrupole mass spectrometer is used to analyze synthetic compounds, peptides and peptoids. This system is equipped with C18 and C4 columns for reverse-phase chromatography and is configured for walk-up routine electrospray mass analysis.
Waters Synapt G2 HDMS Mass Spectrometer
The Waters Synapt G2 is a high resolution Q-Tof mass spectrometer with ion mobility functionality. This instrument suite includes UPLC and Nanoflow UPLC inlets for electrospray ionization as well as a MALDI source. It is capable of ETD and CID MS/MS and a wide variety of specialized mass spectrometry techniques. This instrument is primarily used for biopolymer sequencing and high resolution analysis.
Additional Organic and Biopolymer Synthesis Tools
The Biological Facility is equipped with a variety of resources used in the synthesis of organic compounds, functionalized nanocrystals and bioinspired polymers. They include: 7 chemical fume hoods, two rotary evaporators, a Biotage V10 evaporator, top-loading and analytical balances in a vented safety enclosure, and two lyophilizers.
