Mass Spectrometry

In this article, we examine how tandem and tandem hybrid mass spectrometry has opened up new frontiers already. We go further and examine how lesser-known experiments are breaking new ground, with alternative fragmentation techniques, as well as the addition of extra levels of orthogonality by parallel separations techniques.

Native mass spectrometry, the method by which noncovalent protein complexes are retained in the gas phase for intact mass analysis, is gaining interest as a method for intact protein characterization. The development of a modified orbital ion trap platform for high-resolution analyses has expanded the role of native mass spectrometry to address the challenges of intact protein characterization.

The identification of nontargeted species in environmental and commercial samples by mass spectrometry can be very difficult. In this article, authors from Eastman Chemical Company describe their systematic approach for the identification of nontargeted species using nominal and accurate mass data, searching both mass spectral and "spectra-less" databases.

Ionization of small, large, volatile, and nonvolatile compounds with charge states nearly identical to electrospray ionization are produced from a solid matrix or solution with high sensitivity utilizing the vacuum inherent with any mass spectrometer. With the proper matrix, analytes can be analyzed from ambient conditions or by direct introduction into vacuum.

The production and sale of counterfeit drugs has risen sharply in recent years. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that counterfeit medicines account for approximately 1% of sales in developed countries and well over 10% in developing countries.

Despite the advantages of soft ionization ion-source technologies for improving confidence in the identification of a range of challenging analytes, soft ionization remains a niche technique for gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS).

Here, a method to characterize edible oils and edible oil mixtures through fingerprinting and the isolation of individual analyte differences is reported. Aroma and flavor analytes in extra virgin olive, olive, peanut, grapeseed, and vegetable oils were sampled with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME).

Correlating biological activity with chemical composition is the Holy Grail of natural product chemists. Is mass spectrometry the right tool for this challenge?

Gas chromatography with electron ionization and mass spectrometry (GC–EI-MS) detection is a workhorse among analytical techniques in metabolomics. A major challenge in the utilization of GC–EI-MS in metabolomics is the identification of unknowns.

Recent advances in sampling techniques in the pharmaceutical industry sparked significant interest in applying improvements to extraction methods for greater analyte detection and quantitation.

A review of possible uses of ion chromatography (IC) in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) detection for environmental research

The method development process required for the accurate quantification of both clopidogrel and its acid metabolite with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 1 pg/mL in human plasma is discussed.

This article describes how a food testing laboratory can transition routine high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods to microflow LC for improved sensitivity, throughput, and robustness of analysis.

A study of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in river water samples is presented from northeastern United States using ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with TOF-MS for both targeted and nontargeted analytes

This article examines the various effects of phospholipids in liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS-MS) analysis and demonstrates a new phospholipid-removal approach.

This instalment provides a brief overview of some multidimensional approaches targeted at intact protein analysis for life science applications, particularly for biopharmaceutical analysis.

This article reports on the isolation, purification, and characterization of phorbol esters in Jatropha curcas seeds.

Here, the process to build an accurate mass database is thoroughly described and applications are commented on.

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) techniques offer advantages in separating and confirming the identity of constituents in novel psychoactive substances.

Accurate-mass approaches offer a significant advance over nominal-mass approaches in the arena of qualitative analysis, and some of the analytical approaches can now be conducted in a relatively routine manner.

A study of colony collapse disorder in honey bees illustrates how mass spectrometry–based proteomics techniques can be used to to identify pathogens without any prior knowledge of what is contained in the sample.

A proof-of-concept application for detecting abused steroids in urine samples collected from an antidoping surveillance program

An update on the sample preparation and LC–MS-MS tools available for allergen detection, as well advantages of those techniques.

A summary of the most recent advances in sample preparation, instrumentation, and data-processing techniques for MALDI-IMS

A discussion of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) selection, drug product development, and mass spectrometry instrumentation