Finding Hidden Proteins in the Body
Improving the Sensitivity and Selectivity of Laser Desorption Ionization Using N-Heterocyclic Carbene Mass Ionization Tags
This project is developing new ways to find very small amounts of proteins in the body that are currently hard to see.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Notre Dame NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Notre Dame, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11177863 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies contain millions of different proteins, and many of them are still a mystery to scientists. These "hidden" proteins, often present in tiny amounts, can play important roles in health and disease. This project is creating special chemical tags to make these elusive proteins easier to detect using advanced laboratory equipment. By improving how we "see" these proteins, we hope to unlock new insights into how our bodies work and how diseases develop.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with conditions linked to unknown or low-abundance proteins could eventually benefit from the improved detection methods developed in this project.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment options or direct clinical intervention would not directly benefit from this foundational methods development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help scientists discover new biological markers for diseases and better understand how proteins contribute to our health.
How similar studies have performed: This project proposes a novel, high-risk approach to improve protein detection, building on existing mass spectrometry techniques but with a new chemical strategy.
Where this research is happening
Notre Dame, United States
- University of Notre Dame — Notre Dame, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Camden, Jon — University of Notre Dame
- Study coordinator: Camden, Jon
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.