Mission and Goal

The Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics (MSP) Core Facility at KUMC serves as a resource for providing a range of expert and timely mass spectrometry services including global label-free and multiplexed, crosslinking, and targeted proteomics as well as analysis of peptide post-translational modifications. The MSP Core has expanded capabilities to include untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics. The facility offers services to investigators both within and outside KUMC on a fee-for-service basis. Our mission is to provide and maintain an infrastructure for state-of-the-art mass spectrometry services. The Facility’s primary goal is to generate high-quality mass spectrometry data and provide data analysis resources in support of biomedical research at The University of Kansas Medical Center and the surrounding region.

Funding Models

The MSP Core Facility is a cost-recovery service. We work with investigators to find a funding model that works best for each individual lab or center/department. Funding options include:

Model 1: Fee for Service

• The Facility offers fixed-cost options for standard services. These include sample preparation, mass spectrometry analysis, and data analysis. Fees are calculated using institutionally approved formulas based on the actual costs of supplies and labor and are benchmarked to rates at comparable facilities at peer institutions.

Model 2: Research Support on Grants

• MSP Core Facility staff members can be included as personnel on NIH Program Project/Center Grants, Resource Grants, Research Grants, and other comparable sources of external support, and may serve as senior/key personnel (e.g., MPI, co-investigator), Consultant, Collaborator, or Other Significant Contributor (OSC) as appropriate. The precise role is determined by the level of commitment and the nature of the intellectual contributions to the project in areas such as experimental design, data interpretation, authorship, etc. 
• Personnel effort committed to a grant will reflect the actual anticipated effort required to meet the demands of the project. The level of effort will be negotiated with the Facility Director and approved by the SOM Office of Research prior to grant submission. This mechanism is not appropriate if effort contribution is estimated to be less than 5% (0.05FTE).  The extent of the contributed effort together with the specific tasks to be covered must be submitted to the Core Director prior to grant submission.
• Support of personnel on grants only covers the costs of labor specified in the written agreement. Any additional effort will be billed at fee-for-service rates.  Additional charges may include costs of supplies and reagents, equipment access/maintenance fees, and other costs necessary for successful completion of the project.

Authorship

In cases where Facility personnel contribute substantively to the intellectual development and/or execution of the project, or author any component of the text, authorship should be provided on any resulting manuscript or abstract. Above all, it is important for the Principal Investigator and Facility personnel to agree on criteria for authorship early in their collaboration.

Attribution

All publications reporting research data generated through the EM facility must cite the Kansas University Medical Center Integrative Imaging Core and reference the core support received from the Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Center (NIH U54 HD090216).  Where applicable, it is essential that all publications cite NIH Shared Instrumentation S10 awards.

Sample and Data Handling

Raw and processed mass spectrometry files are large, and their long-term storage is the responsibility of the PI. Raw MS data files will be retained by the MSP Core facility for a minimum of 90 days and searched results will be held for 30 days after reporting results prior to deletion unless otherwise notified by PI that the study is on-going. All MS and processed files, including but not limited to RAW or Proteome Discoverer files, should be immediately backed up to the requesting laboratory’s data repository by the responsible PI lab member. The MSP Core Facility is not liable for the loss of any data due to failure of the facilities’ computer equipment. It is the responsibility of the investigator to ensure that at a minimum, a copy of the raw data is preserved for the future analysis and retained per the appropriate data retention policies.

Terms and Conditions 

Client agrees to pay for services in accordance with the terms outlined in written or verbally disseminated quotes including rate schedules, scope of work documents, budgets, and any relevant lab service or other legally binding agreements executed by the client as evidenced by the submission of samples to the Facility.  The MSP Core Facility requires payment arrangements be made before any services are performed, and for payment to be completed upon the release of results. All external clients will be required to adhere to KUMC external customer policies as disseminated at the time of project initiation.  In brief, unless otherwise specified, all relevant KUMC external customer identification documents will need to be on file and subsequent service payments are due and payable within thirty (30) days of the date of the invoice.

Warranty

The MSP Core Facility agrees to perform the services agreed upon in accordance with the highest scientific and professional standards. All parties recognize and understand that the Facility provides services to explore biological questions or scientific hypothesis. The facility makes absolutely no warranties, express or implied, and disclaims all warranties including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The client's exclusive remedy is, at the KUMC MSP Core Facility’s discretion, a credit for, or re-performance of, the services in question. In no event will the KUMC MSP Core Facility be liable for any consequential, incidental, special or indirect damages, including without limitation, damages for loss of profits, business interruption, loss of business information or property damage sustained by client from the use of, or inability to use, any results, even if the KUMC MSP Core Facility has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Confidentiality

Both parties each agree to maintain in confidence and not disclose to third parties any confidential information that is disclosed to one by the other party. This includes pricing information and all communications.

Intellectual Property and Use of Data 

Following settlement of all invoices, all compilations of scientific and technical data produced or prepared by the KUMC MSP Core Facility in the performance of services requested shall be the exclusive property of the client and shall be deemed to be works made for hire. Any work resulting from unpaid services and all associated intellectual property shall remain the exclusive property of the KUMC MSP Core Facility. By using the facility, unless otherwise specified and agreed upon by both parties, the client gives permission to the KUMC MSP Core Facility to utilize their data for internal development of core services, after services are complete and deliverables are met. These provisions shall survive any termination or expiration of this Agreement.