Federal Grant Award Summary

Emory University received a $1.7 million Project Grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director under the Research Infrastructure Programs (CFDA 93.351) to acquire a Bruker timsTOF Ultra-2 mass spectrometry system coupled with an EvoSep liquid chromatography platform. The award, made on May 18, 2026, with a completion date of May 17, 2027, supports the Emory Glycomics and Molecular Interactions Core (EGMIC) in establishing next-generation analytical capabilities for ultra-sensitive proteomics and glycomics research. This instrumentation will enable analysis of proteins, lipids, and glycans from extremely limited sample inputs, including single cells and laser-capture microdissected tissue, with sensitivity levels 100-1000 times greater than currently available at the institution.

The timsTOF Ultra-2 system incorporates trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) technology, allowing precise analysis of protein isomers, post-translational modifications, and low-abundance proteoforms at zeptomole detection levels. EGMIC, which has supported over 60 NIH-funded projects for more than a decade, will integrate this technology under the direction of Drs. Roberts, Song, and Lasanajak, who will oversee instrument operation, user training, method development, and data analysis support. The core's existing technical team has demonstrated feasibility through pilot studies on the Ultra-2 demo systems, including successful detection of amyloid-beta isoforms and low-input phosphoproteomics from postmortem human brain tissue, positioning the equipment to immediately benefit 11 major and 8 minor NIH-funded research users across neuroscience and related disciplines.