Researching Biological Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry is a methodology that helps to identify and quantify the constituents of complex mixtures, like cell extracts, serum and medium. Two areas where mass spectrometry excels in biology are proteomics - global profiling of the proteins in a system, and metabolomics - global profiling of the metabolites in a system. Using these techniques, we can track changes in cell biochemistry over time, investigate the mode of action of drugs, trace the fate of nutrients through biochemical pathways or find biomarkers for disease.