MS SPIDOC – A prototype instrument for structural virology and beyond
The MS SPIDOC (Mass Spectrometry for Single-Particle Imaging of Dipole Oriented Protein Complexes) project, lead by CSSB scientist Charlotte Uetrecht, has now ended. The project, which began in September 2018, aimed to bring together scientific expertise ranging from instrumentation design and development to computational modeling and application for single particle imaging of viral particles. Eight partners participated in this international consortium, including two companies with know-how in Mass Spectrometry development, MS Vision and Fasmatech (now part of Bruker). The unique composition of MS SPIDOC partners was leveraged by the contributions of European XFEL, which enabled close interaction to facilitate beamline implementation and access to its next generation facilities.
“Besides the blue sky, high-risk/high-gain character of the project, I loved the multidisciplinary aspect of it. I worked with experts in the field of Mass Spectrometry, but also with specialists in new areas for me. To find that it takes all these disciplines to bring science forward was an eye-opener," notes Ing. Jan Commandeur from MS Vision.
The MS SPIDOC project successfully developed a prototype instrument, X-MS-I, composed of modular instrumentation allowing a high adaptability to different beamlines and applications.
All components have been designed and constructed by the consortium’s partners. The X-MS-I prototype has been assembled at the European XFEL on a custom mobile frame. Additional vacuum chambers were designed so the instrument can be connected to different experimental settings and beamlines.
“It was a great experience and pleasure to work with such a brilliant and dedicated consortium. It would have been impossible to build this system without – they made a dream come true," states Prof. Charlotte Uetrecht, Project leader and coordinator (CSSB, DESY, LIV and Uni Siegen).
A number of scientific articles were published within the consortium, however the success of MS SPIDOC goes beyond the scientific findings and technological developments, as the partners synergistically worked together contributing to build a community. This is also demonstrated by the successful follow-up funded projects, with SAXFELS including 2 partners of MS SPIDOC and the SPIDoc’s doctoral network including all partners of MS SPIDOC. These projects represent a major result as they will ensure the further development of this community and of the technology.
MS SPIDOC partners: Leibniz Institute of Virology, Uppsala University, MS Vision, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Greifswald, Fasmatech Science & Technology, University of Manchester, European Xray Free-Electron Laser GmbH.
More on MS SPIDOC: www.ms-spidoc.eu
