Summer 2015 Workshop in Proteomics and Informatics
DATE: August 3-6, 2015
LOCATION: UIC Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics and Proteomics Facility (MMPF)
Workshop Recap
September 16, 2015
The eighth CBC Summer Workshop in Proteomics and Informatics was held at the CBC/UIC Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics and Proteomics Facility (MMPF) on August 3-6. This comprehensive 4-day course, organized by proteomic experts from UIC, University of Chicago and Midwestern University, was designed to familiarize workshop participants with the basics of quantitative mass spectrometry, proteomics and bioinformatics techniques. The workshop included lectures, discussions, and hands-on experience in sample preparation, MS instrumentation operation and data analysis. The workshop’s objectives were to provide researchers with the knowledge needed to design, analyze and interpret mass spectrometry experiments.
Twenty-two participants from the Chicago area took part in the workshop, which was team-taught by proteomics and informatics specialists from the CBC universities, Midwestern University, University of Wisconsin and Medical College of Wisconsin. Topics covered included the history of mass spectrometry in proteomics, theoretical and practical overviews of tandem mass spectrometry proteomics, data analysis and database searching, various laboratory technologies used in protein structure analysis, and cutting edge discoveries in the field. Talks by the speakers describing current proteomics research highlighted both the technologies used and the discoveries made regarding protein modifications, interactions, and structure-function correlations.
The workshop concluded with students describing how they would apply the knowledge gained from the course to investigate a hypothetical biological question. Course instructors and attendees provided constructive feedback to each student team.
The students felt that “the unique aspect of this workshop was the accessibility of the instructors to answer one-on-one questions”. The level of theoretical and practical information provided by the guest speakers and instructors also impressed the attendees. One student commented, “Seeing how proteomics is utilized to answer a variety of questions in a variety of fields was truly impressive”.
Workshop instructors and guest speakers included:
- Richard van Breemen, Professor, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, UIC
- Stephanie Cologna, Assistant Professor, Chemistry, UIC
- Joshua Coon, Associate Professor, Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Rebekah Gundry, Assistant Professor, Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Luke Hanley, Professor, Chemistry, UIC
- Kolla Kristjansdottir, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences, Midwestern University
- Monika Lysakowska, Staff Spectroscopist, MMPF Core Facility, UIC
- Andrew Manning, Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, UChicago
- Dejan Mikonic, Research Assistant Professor, Medicinal Chemistry, UIC
- Alex Schilling, Director, MMPF Core Facility, UIC
- Paul Thomas, Assistant Research Professor, Molecular Biosciences, NU
- Don Wolfgeher, Technical Director, OSRF Proteomics Core, UChicago
