New way to map atomic structures of proteins using native mass spectrometry and electron diffraction
Official title: Combining native protein mass spectrometry with serial electron diffraction to solve atomic structures of mass selected macromolecules
Funded at Oregon State University · NIH-11373570 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new instrument combines native protein mass spectrometry with electron diffraction to determine atomic structures of large proteins and complexes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Corvallis, United States) |
| Project start | August 11, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $311,301 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM149881-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373570 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This grant is a technology development project and does not involve a specific patient population.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient involvement in the current work.
What this research studies
This project plans to add an electron-diffraction capability to a native protein mass spectrometer, creating an instrument that can reveal detailed atomic structures of proteins. It uses superfluid helium droplets to cool and orient proteins and applies shaped electric and laser fields to fix their orientation, so diffraction patterns can be collected from many identically oriented molecules. By analyzing these patterns with advanced phase-retrieval techniques, researchers aim to derive accurate structural maps. The work builds on prior data to push toward high-resolution structures from single, mass-selected molecules embedded in droplets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster and more detailed protein structure information that supports drug design and understanding disease mechanisms.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary electron diffraction studies with similar approaches have shown promise, but this integrated method aims for new capabilities and higher-resolution results.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon State University
Corvallis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kong, Wei — Oregon State University
- Study coordinator: Kong, Wei
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.