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Professor Jane Thomas-Oates

01904 324459
E-mail: jane.thomas-oates@york.ac.uk

Analytical Science: Biological Mass Spectrometry

My group's research is focused on the structural analysis of biologically-active molecules in order to understand better their mechanism of action at the molecular level. Our primary technique is mass spectrometry, which we use in conjunction with a wide variety of other analytical techniques, including chemical, enzymatic and separations strategies, principally for application in proteomic and metabolomic studies. The group's research has an emphasis on pursuing long-term, integrated studies of biological systems, which means that multidisciplinary collaborations are of prime importance; we are very fortunate in having a range of ongoing projects with a set of long-term and expert collaborators.

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR) - one of the Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry research instruments in use by the JTO group

Using these approaches, we are currently working on characterising:

• the signal molecules involved in mediating the symbiosis between leguminous plants and their nitrogen-fixing rhizobial symbionts, and the mechanism of action of these signals
• plant sugar phosphates and human urinary metabolites
• metabolism of arsenic-containing compounds
• the surface glycoconjugates of human bacterial pathogens and parasitic worms
• proteins from archaeological samples

Selected Publications

1. Mass Spectrometric Profiling of O-Linked Glycans released directly from Glycoproteins in Gels using In-Gel Reductive ß-Elimination.
   A M Taylor, O Holst and J Thomas-Oates, Proteomics, 2006, 6, 2936-2946.
2. A study of the localisation of water soluble carbohydrates in wheat stems using imaging matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry.
   S K Robinson, M Warburton, M Seymour, J Clench and J Thomas-Oates, New Phytol, 2007, 173, 438–444.
3. NopM and NopD Are Rhizobial Nodulation Outer Proteins: Identification Using LC-MALDI and LC-ESI with a monolithic capillary column.
   J A Rodrigues, F J López-Baena, F J Ollero, J M Vinardell, M del R. Espuny, R A Bellogín, J E Ruiz-Sainz, J R Thomas, D Sumpton, J Ault and J Thomas-Oates, J Proteome Res, 2007, 6, 1029-1037.
4. Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography for Mass Spectrometric Metabonomic Studies of Urine.
   S Cubbon, T Bradbury, J Wilson and J Thomas-Oates, Anal Chem, 2007, 79, 8911-8918.
5. Analysis of carbohydrates in Lupinus albus stems on imposition of water deficit, using porous graphitic carbon liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
   C Antonio, C Pinheiro, M M Chaves, C P Ricardo, M F Ortuno and J Thomas-Oates, J Chromatrogr A, 2008, 1187, 111-118.
6. Comment on ‘“Protein Sequences from Mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex Revealed by Mass Spectrometry”.
   M Buckley, A Walker, J Strahler, S Y W Ho, Y Yang, C Smith, P Ashton, J Thomas-Oates, E Cappellini, H Koon, K Penkman, B Watkins, D Ashford, C Solazzo, P Andrews, B Shapiro, P Ostrom, H Gandhi, W Miller, B Raney, M I Zylber, M T P Gilbert, R V Prigodich, M Ryan, K F Rijsdijk, A Janoo and M J Collins, Science, 2008, 319, 33c; doi: 10.1126/science.1147046.
7. Towards the application of desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) to the analysis of ancient proteins from artefacts.
   K Heaton, C Solazzo, M Collins, J Thomas-Oates and E Bergström, J Archaeol. Sci., 2009, 36, 2145-2154.
8. A multidisciplinary study of archaeological grape seeds.
   E Cappellini, M T Gilbert, F Geuna, G Fiorentino, A Hall, J Thomas-Oates, P Ashton, D Ashford, P Arthur, P Campos, J Kool, E Willerslev and M Collins, Naturwissenschaften, 2010, 97, 205-217.
9. Mineralization of the meter-long biosilica structures of glass sponges is templated on hydroxylated collagen.
   H Ehrlich, R Deutzmann, E Brunner, E Cappellini, H Koon, C Solazzo, Y Yang, D Ashford, J Thomas-Oates, M Lubeck, C Baessmann, T Langrock, R Hoffmann, G Wörheide, J Reitner, P Simon, A V Ereskovsky, D Kurek, M Mertig, D Vialykh, S Molodtsov, K Kummer, H Worch, M Collins, Nature Chemistry, 2010, in press.