(Bio)Polymer Mass Spectrometry: Methods, Ion Chemistry, Bioanalytical Applications

The development of innovative, efficient ionization techniques allowing a gentle desorption of even complex molecules has provided mass spectrometry with the breakthrough in the direct analysis of biopolymers. Applicable in various disciplines and yet more powerful than almost any other method, the spectrum of compounds investigated ranges from macromolecular chemistry via biochemistry right up to molecular biology. In this way, suitable mass spectroscopic techniques determine not only the primary structure of proteins but also provide an insight into their spatial structure, even allowing structural and functional analyses. The simplicity of electrospray MS for analyzing non-covalent biomacromolecular complexes opens up brand new perspectives for supramolecular chemistry as well as molecular recognition processes. The combination of efficient separation techniques such as affinity chromatography or new methods directly monitoring biomolecular interactions (biosensors) with mass spectrometry provides the basis for diagnotic platforms in clinical applications.
In his book, the internationally renowned expert Michael Przybylski provides a comprehensive overview of this still relatively young methodology, which will soon be as much an integral part of biopolymer structure analysis as X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy.