Unspecific Molecular Adsorption (UMA) sample preparation method for bottom-up and whole protein analysis. The foundation.

The protein sample preparation methods for shotgun proteomics are nowadays well-established unlike the ones for whole protein analysis. The goal of my work has been to create a simple methodology which provides a single uncomplicated sample preparation tool for these two fields. Nowadays the bulk of proteomics work is done using detergents for protein solubilization. The presented concept, which is based on unspecific adsorption of protein molecules on wide pore materials, allows for protein capture and clean-up from solutions of the most commonly used sodium dodecyl sulfate detergent. It could also be applied to proteins in detergent-free solutions. After the capture and clean-up, proteins could be either cleaved for the downstream peptide analysis or eluted for the whole protein analysis. If required, the eluted whole proteins could be recaptured and cleaved into peptides. Depending on the experimental goals, the sample preparation device could be fitted with embedded proteolytic enzymes to simplify routine sample processing and/or reversed phase media for the downstream peptide or protein separation.