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About

About

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Mission

Our mission is to increase the ability for scientists in the 23 IDeA states and Puerto Rico, as well as other NIGMS-supported investigators across the nation, to perform innovative research by providing unmatched access to advanced quantitative proteomics platforms and staff skilled in interpreting and analyzing complex biological data.

Objectives

As a nationally recognized proteomics research facility, IDeA has three main objectives:

  1. Provide state-of-the-art quantitative proteomics to the IDeA network by providing access to cutting-edge technology in-house and leveraging economy of scale.
  2. Provide outreach opportunities related to proteomics by providing a voucher system for fee-free proteomics and multiple internships to provide training in proteomics techniques.
  3. Provide educational opportunities related to proteomics by hosting a series of workshops and providing online resources for proteomics users.

Brief History

Technicians working in LabThe University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has had a historically strong proteomics core facility (est. 2002) that has specific expertise in quantitative discovery phase proteomics. The core is staffed with experienced personnel for sample analysis and bioinformaticians trained in the analysis of both discovery and targeted proteomics data and led by Alan Tackett, PhD.

The Multiplexing Protein Quantification Core (est. 2008) at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) has expertise in the complementary targeted phase quantitative proteomics and is led by Mike Kinter, PhD. To provide a solution for the challenges of proteomics cores in IDeA states, Drs. Tackett and Kinter applied for and were awarded funds from NIH to create the IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics in 2016. Funds were awarded through two concurrent, state-based programs.

The fundamental goal of this funding was to support regional consolidation of complementary instrumentation, proteomics expertise, and associated bioinformatics resources between the UAMS Proteomics Core and the OMRF Multiplexing Protein Quantification Core to create a regional quantitative proteomics resource that had potential economy of scale to be a service provider for the entire IDeA network.

Established in May of 2016, the mission of the IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics was to provide state-of-the-art quantitative proteomics services and outreach opportunities to the IDeA network. By early 2019, the resource was achieving its goal to provide sophisticated proteomic support and educational training to the entire IDeA network, with users from institutions in every IDeA state. But it was also exceeded its capacity. A new funding mechanism was identified to bolster the resource.

In mid-2020, the IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics became an NIGMS-recognized national resource. A distinction only 13 other facilities in the US can claim. To date, the resource has worked with thousands of researchers from across the country.