One of City of Hope’s first successful bids for grant funding through the federal stimulus package will secure a high-tech instrument for identifying proteins and other biological molecules.

Terry Lee, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Immunology, received $300,000 to purchase an Agilent Q-TOF (short for Quadrupole Time-of-Flight) mass spectrometer. The instrument is one of the most advanced of its kind and will help City of Hope researchers discover the types and amounts of proteins and other biomolecules in complex biological solutions.

Terry Lee stands before a new mass spectrometer acquired with a federal stimulus grant. (Photo by Darrin S. Joy)

“This will help us keep pace with the rapidly evolving instrumentation for proteomics analyses and increase our ability to assist City of Hope researchers finding improved methods of diagnosing and treating major diseases,” Lee said.

Proteomics is the study of proteins, particularly their structure and function, and is providing important insights into how cells work, what causes diseases and possible new ways of treating illness.

The new mass spectrometer currently is operating in the Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility. “We now have two high-performance systems for proteomics on campus now,” said Lee, who is director of the facility. “Because we have so many projects ongoing, the new system was needed to keep everyone on track.”

“The new system is more sensitive, faster and easier to use,” he added.

In January, the U.S. government passed ARRA as part of a stimulus package intended to reinvigorate the sluggish economy. The National Institutes of Health received $10.4 billion as part of ARRA to boost life-sciences research.

Lee’s grant is the first of 19 ARRA-related grants obtained by City of Hope investigators since submissions began in March.