Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful tool to study biological samples both
qualitatively (structure) and quantitatively (molecular mass). In recent years with the
improvement of soft ionization techniques and the development of new methods, its
application in proteomics, microbiology and clinical laboratories has increased.
Especially in proteomics laboratories, it is commonly used for determining protein
amino acid sequence, identification of post translational modifications, determining
protein-peptide/protein/DNA interactions, determining protein folding and unfolding
rates etc. In microbiological laboratories, MS is mainly used to identify
microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Even though its use in clinical laboratories
still needs improvement of methods, it can be used for diagnosis of disease,
identification of metabolic disorders, discovering new biomarkers and identifying drug
toxicity. This chapter provides a general review of MS applications in proteomics.
Keywords: Chemical Cross Linking coupled by MS (XL-MS), Electrospray
Ionization, Hydrogen Deuterium Exchange coupled by MS (HDX-MS), Ion Trap
Mass Analyzer, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization, Proteomics, Protein
Sequencing, Quadrupole Mass Analyzer, Time of Flight Mass Analyzer.
