The principle working hypotheses of the rapid mixing, time-resolved ESI-TOF MS, first introduced by Karen Anderson in 1997, are described below. One of our research goals is to further develop this technology and produce a microfluidics based nanokinetics chip which will lower the volume of the enzyme reaction mixture to the nanoliter range while maintaining a time resolution of <10 milliseconds. Applications include monitoring of enzyme kinetics and drug screening assays.

A particular area of interest in our laboratory is the identification of transient enzyme intermediates using various combinations of kinetics and mass spectrometry techniques, including time-resolved ESI-TOF MS. We are currently investigating the mechanism of Prx-SO2 repair by sulfiredoxin (collaboration with Dr. W. Todd Lowther, WFUSM), and the reaction mechanisms of cystathionine beta synthase and cysthationine gamma lyase (collaboration with Dr. Ruma Banerjee, U Michigan).