Mass spectrometry Facility at National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS)
The mass spectrometry (MS) resources on campus are designed to provide researchers with state-of-the-art techniques and equipment to characterize a wide range of biomolecules—including proteins and peptides (Proteomics), post-translational modification (PTM-analysis), metabolites (Metabolomics), and lipids (Lipidomics). Numerous advanced instruments for the separation, identification, and quantitation of all major biomolecules using MS-based approaches are available. In addition to offering MS-based structural characterization services, the mass spectrometry facility on the Bangalore Life Science Cluster campus provides training to on-campus students, postdocs, and researchers in various LC-MS/MS technologies, while also developing innovative analytical methods to support cutting-edge research.
There are four MS units operating under the facility, each providing expert training and services across different ‘-omics’ platforms.
- Proteomics
- Proteins
- Lipidomics & Metabolomics
- Small Molecule Characterisation
The facility also enables the identification and quantification of both known and unknown proteins, peptides, lipids, and metabolites in biological fluids such as plasma, urine, saliva, and tissue using data-dependent (DDA) and data-independent (DIA) analyses. Comprehensive lipid profiling and quantitation encompasses a systematic study of all lipid classes in the biological system.
The MS facility is committed to establishing a hyphenated mass spectrometry-based small molecule analysis platform in basic biology, clinical studies, and biotechnology at the Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster (BLiSC) affiliated institutes—NCBS, CCAMP, InStem, and TIGS. This platform supports clinical, biological, chemical, and ecological studies of lipidomics and metabolites for the BLiSC community and external researchers. It offers both direct infusion and LC-MS/MS methods using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) technologies such as Orbitrap Fusion, Q-Exactive, and Orbitrap XL.