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Alternatively, you can download sample submission form if you encounter difficulties while using our online system.

Instructions for Sample Submittal

1. Service provided

Protein identification by nano-HPLC/MS/MS.

2. Gel-staining methods

We accept gels visualized by Coomassie Blue, colloidal Coomassie Blue, silver staining, and SYPRO Ruby staining methods. The staining method should be compatible with mass spectrometry analysis. Otherwise, we can not accept your samples.

a. For silver staining, EMBL silver stain protocol is MS compatible and is a preferred method. Click here to view the protocol

b.Bio-Rad Silver Staining Plus Kit (www.bio-rad.com, CAT# 161-0449) is currently known to be MS compatible, but it is NOT recommended. Invitrogen SilverQuest Kit (www.invitrogen.com, CAT# LC6070) is a perferred commercial kit for silver-stained sample analysis.

c. Colloidal Coomassie Blue staining kit is available from Invitrogen (www.invitrogen.com, CAT# LC6025), which has the detection sensitivity about 5-10 ng.

d. If you are unsure which staining method to use, please feel free to contact our office by email.

3. Sample submissions

When submitting the gel, you should include a gel image and indicate the protein bands or spots to be analyzed in a gel picture. Keep the gel moist to help facilitate our analysis before submission. Be sure to bring your signed confirmation page after submitting online, the IDR form and the gel image copy along with the gel to our office. You may cut the bands yourself, but our office will be happy to excise the protein bands of interest.

Sample submissions with signed confirmation page but without IDR form will be processed. However, WE CANNOT RETURN RESULTS UNTIL THE IDR FORM IS RECEIVED.

Extra cauntion must be used to prevent keratin contamination to the gel. Every item that directly contacts with gel slices should be cleaned thoroughly. Please read the instruction for keratin prevention.

Please note that we generally DO NOT ACCEPT SDS-PAGE bands longer than 0.5 cm. This is because big gel bands significantly reduce in-gel digestion efficiency and result in much lower sensitivity for protein identification. Large gel bands will be cut into smaller bands and each band will be processed and billed individually.

4. Office hours

The protein identification service lab is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We accept samples until 6 p.m., but only samples received before 10:30 a.m. will be run the day you submit. Any samples submitted after 10:30 a.m. will be held and processed the next business day. No gels will be processed on Friday so make sure to submit your samples before 10:30 a.m. on Thursday to be included during the week's run. The gel, gel image, submission confirmation printout, and IDR forms, etc., should be submitted to ND6.202. The primary contact for this office is:

Junmei Zhang
Protein ID Lab, Room# ND6.202
UT Southwestern Medical Center
6001 Forest Park Road
Dallas, TX 75390-8816
E-mail: Junmei.Zhang@UTSouthwestern.edu
Tel: 214-645-6301 Fax: 214-645-6298

5. Service fees, instrument performance and turnover time

For UT Southwestern Medical Center users:

Coomassie Blue	Silver / Sypro Ruby		In solution
$180/sample	$210/sample#1	$350/sample#2	$180/sample	$360/sample#3	$500/sample#3

#1. Sample will be operated at the sensitivity of 100 attomole for standard peptide that gives sufficient sensitivity for the identification of 100 fmol proteins in gel.

#2. Sample will be operated at the sensitivity of 5 attomole for standard peptide that gives sufficient sensitivity for the identification of 20 fmol proteins in gel.

#3. In-solution sample with over 20 proteins identified is charged $360/sample and in-solution sample with over 100 proteins identified is charged $500/sample.

#4. Batch-wise sample submission discount table:

First 9 samples	10th – 49th samples	50th and above samples
Normal price	10% discount	20% discount

#5. LC/MS/MS data will be searched with Mascot software (Matrix Science) and protein identification with Mascot score >=150 is considered as positive result and will be automatically reported. Protein identification with Mascot score less than 150 requires additional manual verification to evaluate the result. Manual verification service is charged at $50/sample.

#6. Samples from customers outside of UT Southwestern will have 20% surcharge per sample.

#7. Turnover time for coomassie blue and in-solution samples is typically 1 business week and turnover time for silver and Sypro Ruby stained samples is typically 2 business weeks.