The Rush Proteomics Core provides a comprehensive range of services for the design, execution and analysis of proteomics research. We support the research of both junior and senior investigators and assist clinical and translational researchers in conducting laboratory procedures.

Applications
Identification of proteins and antigens
Serum profiling and discovery of novel disease biomarkers
Analysis of post-translational modifications
Characterization of protein-protein interactions
Identification of molecular pathways involved in health and disease
Services
Consultation on experimental design, post experiment analysis and guidance on the most appropriate experimental platform for specific research objectives and data interpretation.
Training for self-service and performance of procedures as needed. Core personnel participate in several graduate-level courses to introduce basic proteomics methodology to students and young investigators.
Protein chemistry services include sample preparation from simple and complex mixtures including serum, cell lines and tissue, as well as extraction of diverse proteins from human and animal sources using standard isolation, enrichment and solubilization methods. We develop protein fractionation protocols and provide assay development as needed. Proteins are separated and detected using one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and one- and two-dimensional HPLC, Western blot, and image acquisition and bioinformatics analysis.
Production and purification of recombinant proteins is performed using E. coli. The recombinant proteins will be purified up to 95% purity using multi-stage purification processes including affinity, size exclusion and ion exchange columns per the investigator’s request.
ELISA assay for biomarkers, hormones, proteins and lipids from many biological fluids. We can perform any commercially available ELISA assays for precise measurements of biological components.
Bioinformatics support using analytic software for gels and Western blots (BioRad), biomarker discovery algorithms, protein database searches, and analysis of data from glass microarrays, as well as data analysis for the Affymetrix gene chip platform. An in-house Linux system is routinely used to analyze and store data. Bioconductor, based on the R statistical program, is used for microarray and proteomic data analysis, and we have the ability to write R programs for custom method development. Most of the NCBI tools for genomic data analysis are installed, including several Blast programs and sequence retrieval/analysis programs. The core is also linked to the nearby University of Illinois Research Resources Center for additional resources such as a Fourier transform mass spectrometry.