‘Native mass spectrometry’, pioneered by Dame Carol Robinson, has transformed our understanding of proteins within their native environments and paved the way for advancements in drug discovery and personalised medicine.
The EPO says: “‘Native mass spectrometry’, pioneered by Dame Carol Robinson, has transformed our understanding of proteins within their native environments and paved the way for advancements in drug discovery and personalised medicine.
“Dame Carol Robinson's innovative approach to mass spectrometry has enhanced the accuracy of how we study proteins by preserving them in their native state during analysis. Her development of 'native mass spectrometry' allows researchers to investigate the intricate interactions and dynamics of proteins within their natural environments. Native mass spectrometry represents a significant improvement over conventional mass spectrometry, which often alters the structures of these complex biological molecules.
“By ionising proteins without disrupting their complex structures, Robinson's techniques enable a new perspective on the mechanisms underlying various biological processes and diseases. Despite scepticism over her early experiments, her work has proved instrumental in studying ribosomes, molecular chaperones and membrane proteins, providing unprecedented insights into their functions.”
Find out more about her research here https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/european-inventor-award/meet-the-finalists/carol-vivien-robinson
