MCI Project Summaries 2008 - Smithsonian Institution

existing solid-state technology, and allows scientists to probe the chemical composition of
material surfaces with lower-energy electron beams than was heretofore possible. These lower
beam energies allow for exceedingly high spatial resolution (quantitative) analysis at the nanoscale,
with no damage to the object.
Understanding and sustaining a biodiverse planet
Proteomics, the study of proteins, is an area of rapid growth in biological and medical
research. Developed in the mid-1990s, this field was made possible by newly available genetic
sequences and by developments in molecular separation and mass spectrometry technology. The
field has been called “the new genomics,” and shares with genomics a potential for rapid
acquisition of data to drive the discovery and identification of organisms, the linking of
genotypes and phenotypes—especially human disease and cancer phenotypes—and the
development of novel biological and medical markers.
MCI is building a central proteomics facility for the Smithsonian. We are in the process
of securing the instrumentation as well as funds for operating the facility, for travel to partner
facilities and key conferences, and for interns, students, and fellows to participate in this
burgeoning field. The facility will allow us to take our research to a new level as we delve
further into the materials in SI collections, as well as their origins, and their deterioration
processes.
One of MCI’s focal areas is biological deterioration of cultural heritage, ranging from
fungi and insect pests on priceless works of art to microbial communities threatening the
prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux, France. We feel that proteomics techniques are an
important way to move beyond mere identification of organisms to look at the dynamics of their
populations, and at ways to control harmful organisms. For the past six years, MCI has supported
Fellow and Research Associate Dr. Caroline Solazzo in using proteomic technology in scientific
studies that identified food residues on arctic pottery shards and the fibers in Bronze-Age
textiles.
MCI Fellow Greg Henkes, in collaboration Dr. Albert Yergey of the National Institutes
of Health, developed a pilot project to look at protein differences between the early- and lategrowth
shell of Nautilus pompilius. In captivity, the Nautilus exhibits poor shell growth and
eventual death; understanding shell changes may contribute to better long-term management of
the species in captivity. Also, in late 2009 MCI hired proteomics expert Dr. Medhi Moini to help
build this program for MCI.
Valuing world cultures
The Smithsonian is a treasure trove of cultural objects from around the world. But
without context— where they were collected, how they were made, how they were used, who
produced them – they have little meaning beyond their beauty or uniqueness. This is where MCI
comes in, as we use state-of-the-art analytical techniques to elucidate provenance, composition,
and cultural context of a wide range of objects. In 2009, MCI staff, led by Head of Conservation
Harriet (Rae) Beaubien, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the
National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), and the National Museum of the American
Indian, continued their study of gold collections excavated in Panama, using information about
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