Proteomics Core Facility

Further information about the facility can be found in the brochure, which includes details on the types of experiments which can be performed at the facility as well as available instrumentation and price list.

Unfortunately, owing to inflationary pressures outside of our control, we are having to increase our prices from 1st October 2026. The brochure and tables below are currently being updated to reflect these changes.

LC-MS/MS

* Includes sample preparation and database searching

** Solutions (or pellets) should be in water, 50mM NH4HCO3 (pH 7.8) or 50mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.6) and must be free of other salts, detergents, strong acids or bases, solvents, glycerol, HEPES and protease inhibitors. If desalting or clean up is required (and our workload allows) an additional charge will be applied (see table below).  For all samples please supply the protein concentration (or amount in the pellet if later precipitated) determined using a protein estimation kit which is compatible with the buffer in the samples. 

TMT quantitation

A complex mixture of proteins in solution can be analysed for each sample. Buffer composition and protein concentration should be supplied for each sample (ensuring the correct kit is used for the buffer present). Quantitation analysis does not include custom statistical analysis.

* Includes protein precipitation, reduction/alkylation/digestion, TMT Labelling, 1st dimension LC and collection of up to 30 fractions. 

** Long gradient, including Mascot searching - price per fraction

LFQ quantitation

Identification and quantitation using either the Orbitrab Astral or timsTOF mass spectrometers in DIA mode. For accurate label-free quantitation, the protein or peptide concentration will need to be measured (for label-free quantitation from bead digests, a peptide concentration estimation will be required) the additional cost is shown in the protein precipitation table at the end.

Protein precipitation, gels and protein/peptide estimation

If samples which require analysis directly from solutions have been prepared in buffers, which are incompatible with LC-MS/MS analysis (particularly detergents) the protein will need to be extracted from the buffer by precipitation methods. For accurate label-free quantitation, the protein or peptide concentration will need to be measured. For samples in solution which contain salts, it is necessary to desalt before they are analysed. .

* Pierce fluorometric assay

** Desalting using Pierce desalting columns

*** Cost per gel including sample preparation, gel preparation, staining with coomassie or silver and scanning

Pricing guidance notes:

1. Purified single proteins, from gels or solution, generally only require a 60 minute LC-MS/MS run.
2. More complex samples (e.g complex pull-downs or total lysates which have been run on a gel or pull-downs containing proteins in solution) generally require a longer 120 min to reduce the complexity of the sample and generate a greater number of protein identifications.
3. The cost of digestion with trypsin is included in the prices above. Use of any other enzyme(s) will result in an additional charge. Please ask for a quotation before filling in the appropriate submission form.
4. The prices shown above are for each LC-MS/MS run, excluding VAT, - please consider this when calculating the total cost of the experiment.
5. VAT will be payable on all external orders as exemption does not cover supply of 'information' (i.e. results). No VAT is payable by University of Cambridge customers.