Albert Heck

The research group of Albert Heck at Utrecht University has a large track record in quantitative proteomics and the analysis of protein post-translational modifications. For example, he introduced TiO2 as enrichment material for the targeted analysis of phosphopeptides, introduced the use of a protease named LysN that in conjunction with ETD provides unique sequence ladders that are straightforward to interpret and has an extensive track record in developing quantitative proteomics strategies, introducing metabolic stable isotope labeling in multicellular organisms and stable isotope labeling by using chemical approaches. The Heck group is also leading in macromolecular or native mass spectrometry, which enables the analysis of intact proteins and protein assemblies by mass spectrometry. The group develops mass spectrometers dedicated for this work and applies these technologies to study the structure and dynamics of for instance transcription complexes, such as RNA polymerase, and virus assembly. The infrastructure and technology available at the Heck group includes state-of-the art proteomics equipment, with over 20 mass spectrometers and expert proteomics technology to study a variety of post-translational modifications, quantitate changes in protein interaction networks and the detailed characterization of intact protein complexes.