Mass Spectrometry and Analytical Pharmacology Shared Resource (MSAPSR)

Fees and Scheduling

Fees

Quotes will be provided for all services. A list of prices for standard assays can be found on the sample submission forms below:

New assays can be developed as per the user’s requirement. The pricing for the above assays will be determined by the number of samples and number of assays required. For more information, please contact Dr. Ma (Junfeng.Ma@georgetown.edu) for proteomics services, Dr. Peran (ip62@georgetown.edu) for Hyperion services, Dr. Cheema (akc27@georgetown.edu) for metabolomics services, Dr. Carter (Claire.Carter@hmh-cdi.org) for MSI and LCM services, and Mr. Zimmerman (matthew.zimmerman@hmh-cdi.org) for PK and LCM services.

Scheduling and Billing

  • Investigators interested in MSAP services should contact the core Directors via email or phone.
  • The process for initiating a project in collaboration with the MSAP shared resource varies depending on the institutional affiliation.
  • LCCC Consortium (GU and CDI)- affiliated investigators: Investigators affiliated with Georgetown University or the LCCC Research Consortium will be charged the advertised internal rate for all services. A GU worktag for billing is required when initiating any analyses.
  • Non-GU Investigators: After an initial consultation, an estimate will be drafted by the core that specifies the scope and total costs for your project, and is part of the service agreement. A surcharge will be applied to all external non-GU customers.

Sample Submission

  • Samples can be delivered in person to room GD9 (for proteomics/peptidomics), GD11 (for Hyperion imaging), and GC2/GD4 (for metabolomics/lipidomics)  in the Preclinical Science Building along with a completed sample submission form
  • Samples must be in appropriate containers. For example, samples for GC must be placed in glass vials with a Teflon-lined screw cap and samples in polar solvents for targeted and untargeted metabolomics analyses may be placed in plastic microcentrifuge tubes.
  • Generally, DMSO, PEG, and Parafilm are not compatible with mass spectrometry. For cell culture samples, it’s best if the culture medium is without phenol red.
  • All sample tubes must be labeled with a unique identifier such as submitter’s initial along with the date in mmddyyyy format. Note: taping of unlabeled sample container to the submission form is not considered sufficient labeling.
  • An electronic copy of the sample manifest is required before the samples can be processed
  • If samples identities are blinded, please make sure that the sample order is randomized in order to avoid bias during data acquisition.

Operational Workflow

To ensure efficiency and optimal results, resource members interact closely with investigators. In order to utilize the Shared Resource, users will follow this basic operational workflow:

  1. An investigator directs an initial inquiry to the MSAP Director via email.
  2. An initial meeting (in-person or virtual) is held during which the feasibility of the project and the overall research plan are discussed. The investigator is also notified of the service charges.
  3. Once deemed feasible, all pertinent information including laboratory personnel dedicated for the project and grant/funding account will be provided by the user.
  4. While the MS instruments are operated only by the SR personnel, users are routinely trained by MSAP staff for data pre-processing as well as database search and interpretation of tandem mass spectra.