Structural Biology

Structural Biology

Revolutionize your protein and protein complex analysis with ion mobility enabled time-of-flight (Tof) mass spectrometry (MS) solutions from Waters, which help your laboratory generate important breakthroughs in the determination of overall size, shape, and subunit architecture of protein complexes.

Revolutionize your protein and protein complex analysis with ion mobility enabled time-of-flight (Tof) mass spectrometry (MS) solutions from Waters, which help your laboratory generate important breakthroughs in the determination of overall size, shape, and subunit architecture of protein complexes.
Read the Application Note
Achieve unique molecular insights into structural biology and elucidate the gas phase structure of protein macromolecular complexes with Waters structural biology solutions. 
Achieve unique molecular insights into structural biology and elucidate the gas phase structure of protein macromolecular complexes with Waters structural biology solutions. 

Overview

Achieving insights into the structure of proteins and protein macromolecular complexes is critical in understanding the relationship with their biological function. 

Using either HDX-MS or Native MS analysis, the SELECT SERIES Cyclic IMS can help your lab learn about the physical size and shape of proteins, and is ideal for modeling protein assembly structures that are difficult and time-consuming to study with conventional structural biology approaches.

For studying protein unfolding and subunit configurations, the Cyclic IMS can be configured with an array of ion activation techniques, including electron capture dissociation (ECD), surface induced dissociation (SID), and collision-induced dissociation (CID). All of these techniques combine with scalable ion mobility and IMSn to deliver unique insights in structure.

Cyclic IMS ESI angled

Applications

The higher order structure of protein biotherapeutics is an important attribute to measure in order to assure the effectiveness and safety of new therapies. Learn how Waters advanced structural biology toolset can be applied in the biopharmaceutical industry.

The higher order structure of protein biotherapeutics is an important attribute to measure in order to assure the effectiveness and safety of new therapies. Learn how Waters advanced structural biology toolset can be applied in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Application Notes

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The mass spectrometry analysis of proteins and macromolecular complexes in their native or intact states retains important information which can be related to their biological function. Learn how Waters mass spectrometry can be used in unique ways to measure the structure of these important biomolecules.

The mass spectrometry analysis of proteins and macromolecular complexes in their native or intact states retains important information which can be related to their biological function. Learn how Waters mass spectrometry can be used in unique ways to measure the structure of these important biomolecules.

Application Notes

Human prion protein (hPrP), chemical structure

Webinar: Advanced Characterization of Biotherapeutics Using Cyclic Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

Hydrogen–deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a powerful technique to study protein structure. Listen as Dale Cooper-Shepard demonstrates the SELECT SERIES Cyclic IMS as a highly versatile tool for biopharma research and how Cyclic IMS significantly increases protein coverage for detailed HDX studies.

Hydrogen–deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a powerful technique to study protein structure. Listen as Dale Cooper-Shepard demonstrates the SELECT SERIES Cyclic IMS as a highly versatile tool for biopharma research and how Cyclic IMS significantly increases protein coverage for detailed HDX studies.
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Solutions

Waters LC-MS and GC-MS systems offer absolute performance in separation and sensitivity for PFAS quantitation and identification.

Waters LC-MS and GC-MS systems offer absolute performance in separation and sensitivity for PFAS quantitation and identification.

Endless possibilities, limitless structural biology research

Endless possibilities, limitless structural biology research
SELECT SERIES Cyclic IMS

Interrogate heterogeneous protein assemblies in the 10 kDa to 1 MDa range with the SELECT SERIES Cyclic IMS ion mobility mass spectrometry, ideal for intact in the gas phase and for structural biology analysis.

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

Ultimate flexibility for deeper discovery

Ultimate flexibility for deeper discovery
SYNAPT XS

Improve your post-translational modification studies with the SYNAPT XS that uniquely implements electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) in the trap-region of the TriWave device for the optional, supplemental activation of ions by collision-induced dissociation (CID).

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

Answers for all of your structural questions

Answers for all of your structural questions
Hydrogen Deuterium Exchange with Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS)

Get the robust solution you need for protein drug discovery and development and higher order structure studies with Waters HDX MS LC-MS, automation, and informatics solutions.

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

Redefine performance with all the benefits of time-of-flight technology

Redefine performance with all the benefits of time-of-flight technology
SELECT SERIES MRT

Accelerate your research and comprehensively identify analytes in complex samples with the SELECT SERIES MRT that provides a unique combination of ultra-high resolution and specificity independent of scan speed, for unambiguous compound identification with even the most complex samples.

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

Achieve reliable, reproducible results by effectively desalting proteins

Achieve reliable, reproducible results by effectively desalting proteins
MassPREP On-Line Desalting Cartridges

Significantly minimize or remove the introduction of extraneous salt ions into the mass spectrometer with minimal sample handling using MassPREP On-Line Desalting Cartridges.

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

Faster, more efficient online protein digestion

Faster, more efficient online protein digestion
Enzymate BEH Pepsin Columns

Easily incorporate online protein digestion into existing HDX-MS workflows with Enzymate BEH Pepsin Columns, which can typically digest intact proteins into peptides in an online HDX system in about 30 seconds.

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

Size-based separations of peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, LNPs, and viral vectors

Size-based separations of peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, LNPs, and viral vectors
SEC Columns

Get unmatched batch-to-batch reproducibility with the wide range of Waters Size-Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) Columns and standards for protein and peptide characterization.

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

Generate high-quality peptide and protein separations

Generate high-quality peptide and protein separations
Nano and MicroFlow LC-MS Columns

Achieve the efficiency and selectivity required for complex separations like the discovery of low abundance species, peptide mapping, protein identification, and biomarker discovery with Nano and MicroFlow LC-MS Columns.

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

Achieve testing efficiencies and accurate results using streamlined Waters services and support.

Achieve testing efficiencies and accurate results using streamlined Waters services and support.

Your success is just a click away

Your success is just a click away
Waters Global Services

Optimize your laboratory’s productivity while addressing your budget realities with Waters Global Services. Maintain peak system performance, minimize down time, address scientific application challenges, and support stringent compliance requirements.

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

Make science more accessible with Waters Capital

Make science more accessible with Waters Capital
Payment Solutions

Maximize your lab resources and minimize risk with payment options from Waters Capital, which includes innovative solutions to upgrade aging instruments, customized support, and flexible options to bundle your complete laboratory solution in one easy monthly payment – everything you need to advance your science. 

  • Biotherapeutic Protein Characterization
  • Intact Proteins and Native MS

The data speaks for itself

The data speaks for itself
Extracted ion mobilogram at 597.34 m/z corresponding to the peptide GIIQPQQPAQL with one deamidated glutamine residue (out of a possible four). Based on drift time after five passes, four different species could be separated.
Extracted ion mobilogram at 597.34 m/z corresponding to the peptide GIIQPQQPAQL with one deamidated glutamine residue (out of a possible four). Based on drift time after five passes, four different species could be separated.
Resolving deamidations for confident quantification. A) The deamidated forms of peptide HC:T23 elute in the tail of the native peptide peak.

Resolving deamidations for confident quantification. A) The deamidated forms of peptide HC:T23 elute in the tail of the native peptide peak.

Without the ultra-high resolution of the SELECT SERIES MRT as shown in (B) identification and quantification of the deamidations.
Representative MaxEnt1 deconvolution of trastuzumab from denaturing analysis (10 ng injection).
Representative MaxEnt1 deconvolution of trastuzumab from denaturing analysis (10 ng injection).

Webinars and Resources

  • Brochure

Enhanced Biopharmaceutical Characterization Using the SELECT SERIES MRT– Product Solution

Enhanced Biopharmaceutical Characterization Using the SELECT SERIES MRT– Product Solution
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Related

Hydrogen Deuterium Exchange - Mass Spectrometry
Answers for all of your structural questions for biotherapeutics, complexes, and protein folding/stabillity studies. Waters offers unrivaled instrumentation, chemistries, informatics, and training programs.

Proteomics
Waters proteomics solutions and expertise are leading resources for proteomics discovery research. Our MS-based systems maximize efficiency and provide unique tools for protein discovery, characterization, quantification, and validation.

Targeted Omics and Biomarker Quantification
Facilitate a smooth translation from multi-omics discovery to high-throughput, high-sensitivity quantitative LC-MS methods with Waters robust analytical solutions for targeted proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics applications.

Discovery Proteomics
Differentiate between samples and comprehensively identify proteins in your samples with Waters discovery – or nontargeted – proteomics solutions.

Learn more about Structural Biology Solutions.

Learn more about Structural Biology Solutions.
Achieve unique molecular insights into structural biology and elucidate the gas phase structure of protein macromolecular complexes with Waters structural biology solutions. 
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Structural biology is a field of science that focuses on understanding the shapes and arrangements of biological molecules such as proteins, DNA, RNA, and large molecular complexes. These molecules are essential for life, and their structure is closely tied to their function. Even small changes in their shape, caused by misfolding or genetic mutations, can lead to diseases. By studying these molecular structures, scientists gain valuable knowledge about how biological systems work at the most basic level.

Researchers use advanced techniques to study these molecules in detail. X-ray crystallography provides highly detailed images of crystallized molecules, while Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy allows scientists to examine molecules in liquid form and study how they move. Alongside these, mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) are widely used to study how molecules interact and change shape.

The knowledge gained from structural biology is extremely valuable in medicine and biotechnology. It helps researchers design new drugs that precisely target the structure of disease-related proteins. This is particularly important in diseases linked to protein misfolding. Beyond healthcare, structural biology also supports biotechnology and synthetic biology, where scientists develop or redesign proteins for industrial, environmental, or therapeutic uses.