Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS)

• Subject Area: Biological Chemistry and Food Chemistry
• Term: Funded in 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 538042901

Oligonucleotides and their conjugates are essential molecules in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. They are used, for example, as therapeutics, as genetic barcodes for encoding drug-like small-molecule molecules (DNA-encoded chemistry), for designing probes for chemical biology, and for designing delivery systems. The W3 professorship at the Chair of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry of the Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry at the University of Würzburg (Brunschweiger working group), which will be filled in January 2023, focuses on research in these areas. Oligonucleotides and oligonucleotide conjugates are mainly analysed by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. With the present application, an equipment combination of analytical liquid chromatography and mass spectrometer (LC/MS or HPLC-MS system) is to be procured. This equipment is needed to characterise oligonucleotides and oligonucleotide conjugates produced in the working group, primarily for purity and identity analysis. In addition to its importance for the research focus of the Brunschweiger working group in the field of DNA-encoded chemistry, it will also become the central analytical instrument for a newly established focus in the field of "nucleic acid delivery" systems. This area of research has gained much relevance due to the current breakthroughs with mRNA-based vaccines and the steady progress with therapeutic oligonucleotides. Due to the great importance for the work within the Brunschweiger working group, the device will be set up and operated locally on the premises of the professorship. If required, the device will also be made available to other working groups of the Institute of Pharmacy and LMC and the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, to which the Institute is affiliated, as well as to corresponding working groups of the Faculty of Medicine for analytical questions in the field of oligonucleotides.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Flüssigchromatographie mit Massenspektrometrie-Kopplung (HPLC-MS)
• Instrumentation Group: 1700 Massenspektrometer
• Applicant Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Andreas Brunschweiger