Single Molecule Mass Spectrometry
This morning the New York Times reports on a nano-scale mass spectrometer which can measure the weight of a single molecule.
Traditionally in mass spectrometry, tens of millions of particles are weighed to calculate the mass of a single molecule.
The spectrometer goes by the acronym NEMS, short for nanoelectromechanical systems resonator. As the name suggests, the measurement is carried out when the driven vibration of a nano-“string” is dampened by the presence of a molecule. The difference in frequency of the two vibrations determines the molecule’s weight.
According to the paper, published in Nature Nanotechnology, the new mass spectrometer will be an asset in analyzing protein molecules.
NEMS-based mass spectrometry is a unique and promising new form of mass spectrometry: it can resolve neutral species, provide a resolving power that increases markedly for very large masses, and allow the acquisition of spectra, molecule-by-molecule, in real time.
Can your mass spec so that?
Researchers Solve 40-Year-Old FTMS Phasing Problem
Scientists at the Univ. of Warwick have developed a computation which simultaneously doubles the resolution, sensitivity and mass accuracy of Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (FTMS) at no extra cost. Researchers in the Univ.’s Department of Chemistry have solved the 40-year-old phasing problem which allows plotting of spectra in absorption mode.
Read more: http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news-Technique-Heightens-Resolution-Sensitivity-Mass-Accuracy-of-FTMS-042412.aspx
Rapid development of sensitive, high-throughput, quantitative and highly selective mass spectrometric targeted immunoassays for clinically important proteins in human plasma and serum
Abstract ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to develop high-throughput, quantitative and highly selective mass spectrometric, targeted immunoassays for clinically important proteins in human plasma or serum.
Design and Methods
The described method coupled mass spectrometric immunoassay (MSIA), a previously developed technique for immunoenrichment on a monolithic microcolumn activated with an anti-protein antibody and fixed in a pipette tip, to selected reaction monitoring (SRM) detection and accurate quantification of targeted peptides, including clinically relevant sequence or truncated variants.
ResultsIn this report, we demonstrate the rapid development of MSIA-SRM assays for sixteen different target proteins spanning seven different clinically important areas (including neurological, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular, endocrine function, cancer and other diseases) and ranging in concentration from pg/mL to mg/mL. The reported MSIA-SRM assays demonstrated high sensitivity (within published clinical ranges), precision, robustness and high- throughput as well as specific detection of clinically relevant isoforms for many of the target proteins. Most of the assays were tested with bona-fide clinical samples.
In addition, positive correlations, (R2 0.67-0.87, depending on the target peptide), were demonstrated for MSIA-SRM assay data with clinical analyzer measurements of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and insulin growth factor 1(IGF1) in clinical sample cohorts.
ConclusionsWe have presented a practical and scalable method for rapid development and deployment of MS-based SRM assays for clinically relevant proteins and measured levels of the target analytes in bona fide clinical samples. The method permits the specific quantification of individual protein isoforms and addresses the difficult problem of protein heterogeneity in clinical proteomics applications.
-Check this out! I’m one of the authors! What a great start to 2013!
The next big thing in mass spectrometry
rsc.orgIt’s not quite the ‘elephant in the room’, but an 18 megadalton viral assembly is perhaps the biggest thing in the mass spectrometer (MS). Dutch and US researchers have used quadrupole time-of-flight (QToF) native MS to investigate intact capsids from a bacteriophage – a virus that infects bacteria. While there is theoretically no upper limit on the mass of a particle that might be analysed using ToF MS, the work is far from trivial in breaking through the record.
Mass Spectrometry Lab Designed for Advanced R&D
Waters Corp. held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Mass Spectrometry Headquarters located on Wilmslow, Cheshire, England. The headquarters is planned for completion in 2014.
The Right Honorable George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, joined Waters for the event and put the ceremonial spade in the ground. A Copper Beech tree was planted onsite to mark the occasion. Osborne says, “It is a great honor to be part of this special day. Water Corp.’s decision to make this major investment in Wilmslow is a vote of confidence in the Cheshire economy and the British economy.”
Read more: http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news-Mass-Spectrometry-Lab-Designed-for-Advanced-RD-062212.aspx
