Project Details
Projekt
UHPLC-QQQ Mass spectrometer
Subject Area
Medicine
Term
since 2026
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 567159370
RNA research is a major scientific discipline at GU Frankfurt and ranges from RNA synthesis, to regulation, transcription and translation into proteins. Unlike DNA, RNA is chemically highly diverse and hundreds of dedicated enzymes in all organisms introduce and orchestrate these chemical RNA modifications. The potential of RNA modifications became apparent as RNA modification was the key building block of the vaccine that ended the Corona pandemic which is recognized by the Nobel prize for Medicine for Kariko&Weissman 2023. Despite this important research on RNA modification, little is known about the complete RNA modification landscape, quantities of RNA modifications and their distribution in RNAs. To push the frontier in epitranscriptome research and release the great potential of RNA modifications, an accurate and precise knowledge on RNA modification stoichiometries is needed. The method of choice is mass spectrometry (MS) in combination with liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with the highest sensitivity found in triple quadrupole MS (QQQ) analysis (UHPLC-QQQ-MS). With a UHPLC-QQQ-MS and external calibration, absolute quantities of RNA modifications can be determined using stable isotope labelled internal standards. With this, we have solved several questions regarding tRNA modification-related diseases, but also developed new technologies to assess RNA modification at temporal resolution. Here, we have coined the term NAIL-MS which abbreviates nucleic acid isotope labelling coupled mass spectrometry. The UHPLC-QQQ-MS enables our research at the frontier of epitransriptome research, but it has become clear that cellular RNAs are a complex mixture which requires physical deconvolution prior to analysis to obtain meaningful biological results. Therefore, we have developed various technologies for RNA purification which results in a multiplication of each sample and thus an increased demand in instrument time. Here, we apply for funding of a UHPLC-QQQ-MS to enable our ongoing research in RNA modification biology. The new instrument is urgently needed because (1) the current system is no longer sufficient to run all our and our collaborator’s samples, (2) is often not sensitive enough for quantification of modifications in low abundant RNAs and (3) the current system is repeatedly out-of-service due to instrument age-related breakdowns.
DFG Programme
Major Research Instrumentation
Major Instrumentation
UHPLC-QQQ-Massenspektrometer
Instrumentation Group
1700 Massenspektrometer
Applicant Institution
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
