Frequently Asked Questions

General Info

Q. What service does your facility provide?
Q. What hours are you open?
Q. Are you open on holidays?
Q. How long will it take to get my results?
Q. Why does it take longer to get my results sometimes?
Q. Which is the preferred method for submitting a sample?


Online System

Q. Is using the online system free?
Q. What if I lose my password?
Q. Is there a way to see more detailed results than those given online?
Q. Why don’t you show the complete detailed identification of my sample on-line?


Submission and Payment

Q. What should I bring with my sample?
Q. How much do you charge per sample?
Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
Q. Must I submit an IDR each time I submit a sample?
Q. How do I obtain an IDR?
Q. When submitting in-solution samples, what is the best solution or buffer for suspension?
Q. Is it best to bring the whole gel or just the excised samples?
Q. What is contamination?


Reading your results

Q. What if the results are not what I expected?
Q. What do the question marks mean in the notes section?


General Info

Q. What service does your facility provide?
A. Protein identification by nano-HPLC/MS/MS is the only service we provide right now. Samples for routine mass measurement and domain definition should be submitted to the Protein Chemistry Technology Center.

Q. What hours are you open?
A. We are open Monday-Friday 9am-6pm.

Q. Are you open on holidays?
A. No. We follow the UTSW holiday schedule.

Q. How long will it take to get my results?
A. For Colloidal Coomassie and Coomassie blue stained samples and in-solution samples, results are ready within 7 business days. For Silver and Sypro Ruby stained samples, results are ready within 12 business days.

Q. Why does it take longer to get my results sometimes?
A. We process samples on a first come first serve basis. So the time it takes to process your sample is dependent on the number of samples submitted before yours. On the main page of our website on the right upper corner, there is a number that indicates how many samples are being processed at this time.

Q. Which is the preferred method for submitting a sample?
A. The preferred method is submittal through the online system. This ensures you a proper place in the queue and allows you access to your results online. Should there be a problem with the system, you can download our form and submit it with your sample.


Online System

Q. Is using the online system free?
A. Yes.

Q. What if I lose my password?
A. Just type in your email address and click submit. The password will be sent to the email address you provided for us when you signed up.

Q. Is there a way to see more detailed results than those given online?
A. Yes. You can come by our lab (K4.246) and we can discuss in greater detail the results of your submission.

Q. Why don’t you show the complete detailed identification of my sample on-line?
A. Most customers find that a simple identification is adequate and do not want to sift through too much information. Therefore, we make the online results page simple and easy to read which then reduces confusion and clutter. We are always glad to discuss with you or show you more detailed information about your sample any time during our normal operating hours.


Submission and Payment

Q. What should I bring with my sample?
A. Each submission should include four things.
1. the sample itself.
2. a printout of the online confirmation page signed by your PI.
3. an IDR. Not necessary if you already have an active IDR on file for the month.
4. A copy of the gel image. If you do not have means to take a picture, we can do it for you.

Q. How much do you charge per sample?
A. Please click here for detail information about service fees.

Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
A. Currently, we can only accept payment by InterDepartmental Requisition (IDR).

Q. Must I submit an IDR each time I submit a sample?
A. No. We can keep an IDR active for one month. Just submit one IDR with your first submission of the month; any service done for the rest of that month will be charged to that IDR.

Q. How do I obtain an IDR?
A. Consult your department administration office.

Q. When submitting in-solution samples, what is the best solution or buffer for suspension?
A. We usually prefer a low-salt no-detergent solution at pH 7-8. Please call for more details.

Q. Is it best to bring the whole gel or just the excised samples?
A. It is best to bring the whole gel so we can better assess the sample and help reduce contamination.

Q. What is contamination?
A. The primary contaminant for most gel submissions is keratin, the chief source being from hair. One must exercise great caution when handling the gel and its constituents. If there is much contamination in the sample, the results could be greatly affected and it may be very difficult to identify proteins correctly.

Our suggestions for reducing contamination:
1. Always wear clean gloves when processing samples and handling gels.
2. Reduce gel exposure to air by covering the container.
3. All of the reagents and solutions used for gel preparation and staining should be of high quality and freshly prepared.
4.  The gel should be placed in a new clean dish for staining and transport.

Reading Your Results

Q. What if the results are not what I expected?
A. Please come by and we will discuss your sample.

Q. What do the question marks mean in the notes section?
A. If a question mark (?) is given after a protein's name or in the Note column of the online results page, it means that this protein had only one satisfactory peptide assigned to it in the analysis. Even if the peptide matches the database very well, we feel that we cannot identify this protein with more than 90 percent confidence.

If you have any other questions not answered here, please contact us and we would be glad to help you.