High throughput mass spectrometry of single proteins in liquid environment
Although mass spectrometry has brought about major advancements in proteomics in the last decade, protein mass spectrometers still have important limitations. One fundamental limitation is that they require sample ionization, desorption into the gas phase and fragmentation, clearly leading to protein denaturation. Since relevant protein complexes are unstable or transient, their characterization in its native state and physiological environment remains an unexplored route towards the full understanding of protein function and protein interactions.