Authors


Axel Zerrath

Latest:

Mass Analysis from Kilodaltons to Megadaltons Using Macroion Mobility Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS) has advanced to analyze ever-larger biomolecules with the invention of soft ionization techniques like electrospray ionization (ESI). Although ESI has provided a method of generating ions of high mass, mass spectrometers generally suffer both lower sensitivity and lower resolution as the mass-to-charge ratio of an ion increases. To extend the mass range of ionized macromolecules beyond the limits of MS, macroion mobility spectrometry utilizes ion mobility sizing to characterize charge-reduced ESI-generated macroions from >5 kDa to beyond megadalton masses. One prominent application of macroion mobility spectrometry, highlighted here, is the high sensitivity analysis of intact proteins, antibodies, and conjugates in which molecular masses range from antibody light-chain fragments to high mass immunoglobulin multimers.


Julian Wills

Latest:

IC–ICP–MS Speciation Analysis of As in Apple Juice

In this study, apple juice samples are analyzed by IC–ICP–MS to determine the concentration of six arsenic species: the two inorganic, and highly toxic, species (As (V) and As [III]) and four organic species (arsenobetaine [AsB], arsenocholine [AsC], monomethylarsonic acid [MMA], and dimethylarsinic acid [DMA]).


Naomi Manri

Latest:

Electron-Capture Dissociation in a Radio-Frequency Linear Ion Trap

Here we describe a new compact device for electron-capture dissociation (ECD) analysis of large peptides and posttranslational modifications of proteins, which can be difficult to analyze via conventional dissociation techniques such as collision-induced dissociation (CID). The new compact device realizes ECD in a radio frequency (RF) linear ion trap equipped with a small permanent magnet, which is significantly different than the large and maintenance-intensive superconducting magnet required for conventional ECD in Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometers. In addition to its compactness and ease of operation, an additional merit of an RF linear ion trap ECD is that its reaction speed is fast, comparable to CID, enabling data acquisition on the liquid-chromatography (LC) time scale. We interfaced the linear-trap ECD device to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer to obtain ECD spectra of phosphorylated peptides injected into a liquid chromatograph, infused glycopeptides, and intact small..


Retsch, Inc.

Latest:

Sample Preparation for NIR Analysis

A much discussed issue related to near infrared analysis (NIR) is the necessity of sample preparation. Ground and unground samples of wheat were analyzed to determine how truly necessary it is to homogenize samples before NIR analysis. The new Retsch TWISTER mill, specifically designed for NIR sample preparation, was utilized for this comparative study.


Anna Crecelius

Latest:

TLC-MALDI in Pharmaceutical Analysis (PDF)

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a widely used technique for the rapid examination of compound purity. The amount of qualitative information, however, is limited to the retention factor of compounds. The technique described here enables the direct determination of TLC plates by MALDI MS.


Masaki Watanabe

Latest:

Investigation of Transferrin Structure via Novel Electron Capture Dissociation Techniques Using a Hybrid Linear Ion Trap Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

The authors discuss the use of electron-capture dissociation coupled with a linear ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometer to investigate the structure of human transferrin.


Jean-Michel Mermet

Latest:

Application of Unique Software Tools Dedicated to Multiline Analysis by CCD-Based ICP-AES for Geological Samples

Multiline analysis, which consists of using several lines per element to detect positive or negative bias caused by spectral interferences, is an ideal way to use all the information emitted by the plasma and collected by a charge-coupled device detector. However, method development and validation become more complex. Dedicated software has been developed to overcome it, and analysis of geological samples will illustrate their benefit in achieving high reliability of results.


Lee Davidowski

Latest:

ICP-MS with Autodilution and Autocalibration for Implementing the New USP Chapters on Elemental Impurities

This article describes the use of an in-line, autodilution, and autocalibration sample delivery system coupled to an inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry system to analyze a group of over-the-counter pharmaceutical products.


Edax, Inc.

Latest:

Analyzing Absorption of Wood Preservatives Using Micro X-ray Fluorescence

To optimize the mapping collection parameters, it is important to factor the size of the mapping area, the beam diameter, and the desired beam spacing. For this sample, the area being mapped is shown in red outline in Figure 2, approximately 50.4 x 3.5 mm.


Fergus Keenan

Latest:

ICP Source Spectrometry Techniques in Regulated Water Analysis

The spectrometric techniques of inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are compared for their applicability to regulatory water analyses, bearing in mind recent method approval changes. ICP-OES is found to be at its limit for confident detection of several elements for drinking water analysis, but is still suitable for many environmental water quality measurements. ICP-MS is the closest there is to a universally applicable technique for water analysis.


Andrew D. Leslie

Latest:

Dealing With the Masses: A Tutorial on Accurate Masses, Mass 32 Uncertainties, and Mass Defects

This tutorial illustrates the most important definitions used in high-resolution mass spectrometry and clarifies the misconceptions surrounding some of the relevant terms used in this field.


Christoph H. Borchers

Latest:

Key LC–MS Techniques Benefit Life Sciences Researchers

State-of-the-art mass spectrometry (MS) techniques of growing importance to life sciences research now include not just liquid chromatography (LC)–MSn (n = 2–11), but also LC–matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF), LC-MALDI-TOF-TOF, electrospray ionization (ESI)-TOF, and LC-Fourier transform (FT) MS.


Cameron O. Scarlett

Latest:

Key LC–MS Techniques Benefit Life Sciences Researchers

State-of-the-art mass spectrometry (MS) techniques of growing importance to life sciences research now include not just liquid chromatography (LC)–MSn (n = 2–11), but also LC–matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF), LC-MALDI-TOF-TOF, electrospray ionization (ESI)-TOF, and LC-Fourier transform (FT) MS.


Shaun Kennedy

Latest:

Mass Analysis from Kilodaltons to Megadaltons Using Macroion Mobility Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS) has advanced to analyze ever-larger biomolecules with the invention of soft ionization techniques like electrospray ionization (ESI). Although ESI has provided a method of generating ions of high mass, mass spectrometers generally suffer both lower sensitivity and lower resolution as the mass-to-charge ratio of an ion increases. To extend the mass range of ionized macromolecules beyond the limits of MS, macroion mobility spectrometry utilizes ion mobility sizing to characterize charge-reduced ESI-generated macroions from >5 kDa to beyond megadalton masses. One prominent application of macroion mobility spectrometry, highlighted here, is the high sensitivity analysis of intact proteins, antibodies, and conjugates in which molecular masses range from antibody light-chain fragments to high mass immunoglobulin multimers.


Mike Reading

Latest:

Mid-infrared Microspectroscopy of Difficult Samples Using Near-Field Photothermal Microspectroscopy (PTMS) [PDF]

The authors discuss progress in near-field IR microspectroscopy using a photothermal probe and show how it can be applied to the spectroscopic characterization of real-world samples.



Ocean Optics, Inc.

Latest:

Measuring O2 in the Earth’s Subsurface

Discover how geoscientists use Ocean Optics optical oxygen sensors for reaction kinetics studies of pyrite oxidation, which is often linked to environmental issues such as remediation monitoring in aquifers.


Ed McCurdy

Latest:

Method Development with ICP-MS/MS: Tools and Techniques to Ensure Accurate Results in Reaction Mode

Method setup and optimization steps are explored to illustrate how an ICP-MS/MS method can be defined and tested to ensure consistent performance. Users can benefit from improved interference removal performance without the complex method development inherent in the use of ion-molecule reaction chemistry


Pauline Vollmerhaus

Latest:

Challenges in Small-Molecule Quantitation by Mass Spectrometry

Drug discovery scientists are continually striving to improve productivity and efficiency in their workflows. From early discovery to clinical development, existing workflow bottlenecks represent an opportunity to develop solutions to speed the process and improve productivity. The key requirements for quantitative analysis are precision, accuracy, and linear dynamic range. With any quantitative instrument, the hope is that it will be applicable to a vast range of coumpounds, ruggest, and fast. New mass spectrometry (MS) technologies are being developed that meet these criteria and permit high throughput while enabling its application to areas in which speed limitations previously curtailed its practicality. In particular, in the area of ADME profiling, new MS platforms are becoming available that increase the throughput by at least 25-fold, by combining the speed of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) with the specificity of triple-quadrupole MS. This is bound to greatly accelerate the ADME..



Krispin Stoob

Latest:

Online Automated SPE–LC–MS-MS Quantitation of Sulfonamide Antibiotics and Pesticides in Surface Waters Using a Triple-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer and Electrospray Ionization Probe

This article describes a fully automated online solid-phase extraction–liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (SPE–LC–MS-MS) setup using a mass spectrometer and an electrospray ionization probe for analyzing different groups of polar contaminants in natural waters. The goal was to develop an online SPE method for the quantification of sulfonamide antibiotics, including their acetyl metabolites, as well as for frequently used pesticides (triketones, phenylureas, chloracetanilides, phenoxyacetic acids, amides, and triazines) in ambient waters. The analytical methods were applied successfully for a field study in an agricultural region within the catchment area of Lake Greifensee near Zurich, Switzerland.



Mark Taylor

Latest:

The Challenges of Changing Retention Times in GC–MS

Reproducing analysis conditions is crucial to achieving consistent, accurate results in gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Valid reproduction demands appropriate application of technique, solid method design, reliable and accurate equipment, and a dedicated team of well-practiced technicians and researchers. But even when all these conditions are met, users can be held back by the more subtle elements in GC–MS operations, such as cutting or changing a column, or setting up the same experiment on different equipment. Even getting the parameters of a test organized so that it can be reproduced elsewhere - in a laboratory across the hall, the country, or the world - can be daunting. Consistent GC–MS results depend upon retention-time reproducibility.


Changqun Cai

Latest:

Resonance Light Scattering Spectrum of the Alizarin Green-CTMAB-Nucleic Acids System and Determination of Nucleic Acids at Nanogram Levels

The study of the interaction mechanism of nucleic acids-CTMAB with AG showed that the enhanced RLS comes from the aggregation of AG on nucleic acids through the bridged and synergistic effect of CTMAB.


Jean-François Alary

Latest:

Challenges in Small-Molecule Quantitation by Mass Spectrometry

Drug discovery scientists are continually striving to improve productivity and efficiency in their workflows. From early discovery to clinical development, existing workflow bottlenecks represent an opportunity to develop solutions to speed the process and improve productivity. The key requirements for quantitative analysis are precision, accuracy, and linear dynamic range. With any quantitative instrument, the hope is that it will be applicable to a vast range of coumpounds, ruggest, and fast. New mass spectrometry (MS) technologies are being developed that meet these criteria and permit high throughput while enabling its application to areas in which speed limitations previously curtailed its practicality. In particular, in the area of ADME profiling, new MS platforms are becoming available that increase the throughput by at least 25-fold, by combining the speed of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) with the specificity of triple-quadrupole MS. This is bound to greatly accelerate the ADME..


David M. Weller

Latest:

Extraction and Detection of Antibiotics in the Rhizosphere Metabolome

Root diseases caused by soilborne plant pathogens are responsible for billions of dollars of losses annually in food, fiber, ornamental, and biofuel crops. The use of pesticides often is not an option to control plant diseases because of economic factors or potential adverse effects on the environment or human health. For this reason, many Americans are now buying pesticide-free organic foods. Organic agriculture has few options for controlling pests and thus must make full use of natural microbial biological control agents in soils that suppress diseases.


Glenn Woods

Latest:

Accurate, Low-Level Sulfur Analysis by ICP-MS Using MS/MS with Oxygen Reaction Cell Gas

Combined with appropriate selection of instrument components to reduce the sulfur background, ICP-MS using MS/MS with oxygen reaction cell gas can provide accurate low-level analysis of sulfur and sulfur isotope ratios in aqueous and organic matrices. This is useful in applications in life science, clinical research, pharmaceutical development, food safety, environmental monitoring, geochemistry, and petrochemistry.



Zoe A. Grosser

Latest:

Bottled Water: Popular, But Is It Safe?

Bottled water has become increasingly popular over the past several years for convenience and safety. In some areas where publicly supplied tap water is contaminated or contains bacteria, this assumption is valid. However, in areas with clean tap water, the presence of bottled water can be controversial because it might be less clean than the local tap. This article discusses the analysis of inorganic contaminants in bottled water, including regulated contaminants and bromate. Detection limit considerations and speed of analysis also are discussed.


John Monti

Latest:

The Challenges of Changing Retention Times in GC–MS

Reproducing analysis conditions is crucial to achieving consistent, accurate results in gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Valid reproduction demands appropriate application of technique, solid method design, reliable and accurate equipment, and a dedicated team of well-practiced technicians and researchers. But even when all these conditions are met, users can be held back by the more subtle elements in GC–MS operations, such as cutting or changing a column, or setting up the same experiment on different equipment. Even getting the parameters of a test organized so that it can be reproduced elsewhere - in a laboratory across the hall, the country, or the world - can be daunting. Consistent GC–MS results depend upon retention-time reproducibility.