Michael P. Balogh

Michael P. Balogh is the former editor of "MS - The Practical Art," he wrote his last column in September 2011. He is currently Principal Scientist, LC-MS Technology Development, with Waters Corp., Milford, Massachusetts, and is a member of LCGC's editorial advisory board. Kate Yu has taken over the column. For current articles on the field of mass spectrometry and the various hyphenated techniques, including LCMS, GCMS, and tandem MS, please visit: http://www.chromatographyonline.com/Column%3A+MS+-+The+Practical+Art

How does one decipher and tabulate thousands of chemical formulaes and relative abundance without losing the important details.

Coping with extractables and leachables testing is easier when you have a good understanding of the issues involved. Information from public databases and industry consortia also is invaluable.

Identifying unknown compounds continues to challenge analysts.

This month's column looks at some of the problems that the practising mass spectrometrist encounters in the chemical industry today.

The concluding part of the series on the role of system suitability tests in the pharmaceutical industry.

On the 50th anniversary of the invention of the laser, Michael Balogh examines its importance in MS practice.

In mass spectrometry, the electrospray ionization technique quickly earned its place among the primary analytical tools. Yet it is not always the best tool for the job.

With the advances in LC-MS in recent years, is there another practical option on the horizon for those who need the specificity of MS and can justify the narrow definition of a purpose-built system?

This month's column addresses some elementary aspects of the mass spectrum, the tools used and some advances in the science