TELETHON PROTEOMICS SERVICE

Protein analysis is an essential tool to search for the causes of many diseases, identify diagnostic markers, and design possible therapeutic approaches. A sophisticated protein analysis technique is mass spectrometry. This very powerful technique requires highly specialized personnel and expensive instrumentation. For this reason, such technology is not as readily available to scientists as would be desirable. Here, we propose to set up a protein MS service accessible to all Telethon scientists. Our aim is to make this advanced technology available to all of them at minimal costs, while optimizing the utilization of the financial resources provided by Telethon. This proposal is highly feasible, as a protein mass spectrometry facility already exists at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Such facility currently serves the Institute itself, producing important technical and scientific contributions. With Telethon support, we simply propose to extend the facility's services to the entire Telethon community.