Three Prestigious Institutions to Evaluate Protein Forest’s Mass Spec Results Analysis Tool™ (MSRAT™) Bioinformatics Software

4 Sept 2008
Greg Smith
Analyst / Analytical Chemist

Product news

Protein Forest, Inc. a leading developer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art sample fractionation technology for mass spectrometry and bioinformatics software, announced today that its Mass Spec Results Analysis Tool™ (MSRAT™) software will be evaluated at The Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, MA, Harvard Medical School and the Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. These institutions will use the bioinformatics software to enable rapid discovery of the richness of the data produced using the digital ProteomeChip™ (dPC™) system. These studies include glial tumor biomarker discovery, identification of prostate cancer markers in urine and studying disease associated MHC class I and II peptides from T cells.

"MSRAT is extraordinary software. This software allows us to analyze our study data in ways that we could never do before with substantially less effort and time," said Keith R. Solomon, PhD, Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Administrative Director of the Proteomics Center at Children’s Hospital Boston.

The MSRAT™ bioinformatics software was developed for biologists to help them quickly discover new findings in their proteomic data. This software maximizes their ability to correlate protein expression, post-translational modifications and pI isoforms with disease from their MS/MS based proteomic studies. Furthermore, the software analyzes large amounts of mass spec data within minutes allowing researchers to quickly focus on differences/similarities between samples. The software also provides visualization tools such as histograms, Venn diagrams, differential heat maps, and virtual 2D gel maps to assist in the meaningful interpretation of MS data. Ultimately, this software enables researchers to rapidly identify important biologically relevant features from their proteomic experiments.

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Mass SpectrometryMass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful analytical technique used to identify and quantify molecules based on the mass-to-charge ratio of gas-phase ions. It provides detailed information about the structure, composition, and properties of compounds and is widely used across fields such as environmental monitoring, materials science, drug discovery and development, food and beverage testing, and wider chemical research. Key MS techniques include tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LS-MS) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS). Choosing from these wide range of techniques and technologies can be a daunting task, so keep up to date with scientific applications, performance expectations, and customer reviews here all in one place. Visit our product directory to receive quotes direct from the manufacturer. ProteomicsProteomics is the systemic bioinformatics study of proteins and amino acids, including their structure, size, function and identification. Tools used in proteomics include chromatography, blotting and gels, protein arrays, mass spectrometry and ELISA and associated analysis software. Analyzers and proteomic systems should be sensitive, high resolution, fast and may be automated for high-throughput.Chem / BioinformaticsCheminformatics and bioinformatics are computational techniques used in chemistry and biology, respectively, for data acquisition, processing and storage. Cheminformatics focuses on compound information, whereas bioinformatics is mainly applied to analysis and modeling of genomics, genetic and sequencing information. Hardware and software is available for data acquisition, analysis, management and storage.BiomarkersBiomarkers are biological markers which can be measured and evaluated to indicate a biological state. The use of biomarkers in research and diagnosis can indicate a normal or disease state or drug response of cells / tissues. Biomarkers include genetic markers, cell surface markers such as antigens, antibodies or receptors and secreted molecules such as cytokines. An assay system is required for identification of biomarkers. :
Three Prestigious Institutions to Evaluate Protein Forest’s Mass Spec Results Analysis Tool™ (MSRAT™) Bioinformatics Software