Differentiation of complex biological samples in a rapid and
reliable manner is a major challenge for analytical chemists and biologists
alike. Recently, the utility of a protein-based assay (PSA) for differentiating
wine varietals, cellular stress, and urine was demonstrated.
The assay uses a highly abundant protein in mammalian
blood, serum albumin
(SA), as a sensor that works by binding a subset of the small molecules present
in a sample.
Analysis of the selectively bound molecules by liquid
chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) improves the ability to differentiate
and categorize samples compared to direct analysis by LC-MS.
