More than 20 years passed after the introduction of Fourier transform–ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-MS) before advancements in electronics and computer technology enabled the development of practical, high-performance instruments. Modern analytical FT-MS instruments rely on sophisticated electronic circuitry and powerful computer software to achieve the dramatic resolving power and mass accuracy typical for the instrumentation. Here, the power of modern hybrid FT-MS instrumentation is discussed by demonstrating the capability of this instrumentation for selected applications such as the analysis of crude oil, intact protein, and fragile noncovalent complex samples.
