Now that cannabis is legalized in a majority of the United States and Canada, new regulations to help protect consumers lead us to an important question: What are they getting? Here, we'll help provide the answer. Image source: Shayanne Gal/Business Insider Some of...
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Maximize NPS analysis with accurate mass spectrometry
LC-MS/MS is a powerful analytical tool in forensic toxicology testing that can support a variety of testing regimes such as screening, confirmation and quantitative workflows. More specifically, analysis of NPS using LC-MS/MS provides many advantages, including the ability to reliably detect new drugs and their metabolites from a variety of biological matrices.
Unlock the benefits of nominal mass spectrometry for NPS analysis
The development of analytical methods for the detection and quantitation of drugs and metabolites in a range of biological matrices is a challenging process. Forensic toxicology labs need a reproducible and reliable methodology to ensure the robustness of the data and the quality of the results. They also need robust and sensitive instrumentation that can detect drugs at trace levels with high specificity, especially when it comes to novel psychoactive substances (NPS), which can be difficult to monitor and control.
What has the Echo® MS system done for the pharma industry? (And don’t just take our word for it!)
SCIEX was very proud to have an illustration of the Acoustic Ejection Mass Spectrometry (AEMS) technology that powers the Echo® MS system on the front cover of the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry in January 2023. The associated article—Ultrahigh-Throughput Intact Protein Analysis with Acoustic Ejection Mass Spectrometry—was co-authored by scientists from SCIEX and Merck.
Back to the new basics: Part 1 | Making the leap from GC-MS to LC-MS
Producing accurate results quickly in a demanding environment is no easy feat for analytical scientists. What’s more, many of us are constantly questioning ourselves—I certainly am—about whether we are employing the best technique for the analysis at hand.
It’s an overwhelming thought, considering the wide range of tools that are available to choose from, each of which offers varying levels of capacity, sensitivity, selectivity, specificity and cost. How do you meet the unique needs of your organization without breaking the bank? I get it, and I’m not here to convince you it’s easy. My aim is to guide you through the process to help you make the right decision for you.
How does automatic calibration work on the QTOF, TripleTOF and ZenoTOF systems?
When you think about calibration of a mass spectrometer, there are actually two aspects to consider. There is the accuracy of the calibration (that it is correct when calibration is performed) and the stability or precision of the mass calibration (that it remains...
What is SWATH acquisition and what are the critical acquisition attributes?
In data-independent acquisition strategies like SWATH acquisition, an expanded mass isolation window is stepped across a mass range covering the mass-to-charge (m/z) distribution of peptides and a full scan MS/MS spectrum is collected at each step. Post-acquisition,...
Controlling the M5 MicroLC system with SCIEX OS software using contact closure
Contact closure can be used to control external devices that are not directly controlled by SCIEX OS software. A sample batch is first created in the SCIEX OS software for MS acquisition, and then a similar batch is created on an external LC device with the required...
The risky business of aflatoxins in milk
If you’re in the dairy or food testing business, you know the threat aflatoxins pose. Aflatoxins are a type of mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus parasiticus, aspergillus flavus , and rarely aspergillus nomius.1 These are likely the most extensively researched group of mycotoxins because of their adverse health effects.2 What’s more, they are widely found in a variety of crops, namely maize, tree nuts, and spices. Believed to be primarily caused by rising temperatures and humidity, these naturally occurring fungi grow on crops in the field, or during storage of feed and raw materials, where they can potentially produce toxins that enter the food chain.
Intabio acquisition expands SCIEX portfolio of impactful solutions to accelerate biotherapeutic development
Due to the nature of their production, biotherapeutics are difficult to manufacture. Growth conditions, purification protocols and formulation requirements can introduce unintended modifications into the protein structure that may affect its efficacy and safety.
Breaking down the SCIEX Triple Quad™ 7500 LC-MS/MS System – QTRAP® Ready
Sensitivity and robustness carry different meanings in the world of mass spectrometry. Generally, sensitivity refers to an instrument’s ability to achieve lower limits of detection (LOD). Robustness, on the other hand, refers to an instrument’s ability to consistently...
Calling all Bioanalysts: We’re Making Bioanalytical Selectivity Challenges History
High selectivity is a key component of successful quantitative bioanalysis. As a bioanalyst, we need consistently accurate and robust quantitation of small molecule therapeutics and metabolites. Challenged by complicated matrix interferences, high baseline signal, and...
The Latest and Greatest for Improving Lipidomic Analysis by Mass Spectrometry
Differential Mobility Separation (DMS) resolves multiple lipid classes within complex lipid matrices prior to MS analysis to enable more confident identification of lipid species and more accurate quantitation by MS/MS. Lipidomics research has progressed rapidly in...
Out with the “If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it” Approach. In with Remote Monitoring.
Often by the time you’re aware of a problem, it’s too late, and disaster has already struck. You’re forced to pick up the pieces—downtime, reduced productivity and lost data. When your PC goes down, IT comes to the rescue. That’s a reactive approach. In many cases, IT...
Increase your Lab’s ROI with Remote Monitoring Service for SCIEX LC-MS Systems
Like most organizations, your lab is likely thinking about ways to reduce costs and maximize profits.If so, keep in mind that no matter your area of research, sample volume or locations, remote monitoring services can make a difference in yearly maintenance...
SWATH Acquisition: A Step Closer to Unravelling the Opioid Puzzle
Drug overdose has become one of the leading causes of death of Americans under 50. If that’s not bad enough, let’s put this into perspective. America makes up only 4% of the world population. In 2015, it recorded 52,400 drug-related deaths, which is about 27% of the...
Metabolomics Studies Benefit Biomedical Research
Professor Dr. Thomas Hankemeier, Head of the Division of Systems Biomedicine and Pharmacology, LACDRLACDR is a center of excellence for multidisciplinary research into drug discovery and development, with a strong focus on metabolomics. As part of its research...
Greater uptime equals higher productivity
In the old days, if you wanted to monitor your lab’s data, you would either remain by your instrument as long as it took to complete the sample run or dial-in via a telephone modem. Neither option, however, offered much in the way of enhancing productivity. Today’s...
Simplifying Polar Pesticides Within a Single Analysis
Glyphosate is a polar pesticide widely used as a garden herbicide. It is an ingredient in the world’s bestselling weed killer, which farmers consider one of their best solutions to their super weed problems. However, the chemical has become one of the most...
5 Applications That Benefit from a New Dimension in Selectivity
Mass spectrometry can provide exceptional sensitivity, selectivity, resolution, throughput, and mass accuracy, but certain applications demand additional levels of selectivity. This is where differential ion mobility technology comes in. It delivers highly-selective,...
Maximize the use of your software. Buy only what you need
The latest releases of Analyst Software 1.7 and SCIEX OS Software 1.4 introduce a new licensing model called concurrent licensing. If you want flexibility and cost savings when purchasing and using your processing software, concurrent licensing is for you. How does...
Screening Food for Allergens Using LC-MS/MS Analysis
Browse the shelves of any grocery store, and you may get a false sense of security when it comes to ingredient lists. As much as consumers want to trust labels, the truth is, food products could contain mislabelled ingredients, such that they trigger an allergic reaction with serious detrimental effects including discomfort, pain sickness and in some instances, death. Manufacturers, however, do not want to risk their reputation and consumer safety over a false label. As such, there must be some sort of verification to support such an action
4 Reasons Why Your Lab Needs Remote Monitoring
You know the drill, lab managers are always seeking new solutions to keep their labs running at peak performance and instrument or system disruptions can be detrimental. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to connect to your lab from anywhere securely and to stay ahead of potential instrument problems? By using remote monitoring, labs are now able to respond to issues quickly and efficiently, productively reducing downtime.
3 Reasons to Upgrade to Analyst Software 1.7
Would you be surprised to know that the SCIEX QTRAP® and Triple Quad™ mass spectrometry systems are ideally suited to meet the needs of any lab? Even more so as new orders will ship with our flagship Analyst® Software 1.7. The software is the single LC-MS/MS software,...
Testing for a Variety of Bath Salts is a Necessity for Forensic Labs
To date, when it comes to testing urine or oral fluids in the workplace not all psychoactive substances can be detected due to evolving substitutions. As legislation changes, so too do chemical formulations. Therefore researchers, like the authors of the following publication, A Validated Method for the Detection of 32 Bath Salts in Oral Fluids, published by Oxford Academic, analyze compounds using the best available methods so they can cast a wider net.
On Demand Videos from the 2017 Global CESI-MS Symposium
The 2017 Global CESI-MS Symposium brought together KOLs and industry innovators from around the world to share their latest advancements using capillary electrophoresis integrated with electrospray ionization (CESI-MS) within the same device.
Empowering Your Lab with a Proactive Approach
Do you stay in the lab day and night, waiting for a sample run to finish? Or do you set your instrument to run and trust that it will operate as intended while you are away? Is there a way you can have a support network behind you to help to ensure the smooth operation of your instruments?
Vitamin D Analysis Made Simple
Last month, Dr. Phil Levy, a clinician, professor, and researcher at Wayne State University, was invited to SCIEX to lecture on ‘Vitamin D Measurement and Implications for Patient Care.’ His message was simple and very clear: Vitamin D testing is here to stay!
What does World Food Day Mean to Food Scientists?
Did you know that the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), celebrates its founding each year on October 16 with World Food Day? You can explore their theme and commitment to ending hunger by 2030 here. As part of their, “Ten Facts You Need to Know about Hunger,” perhaps you may find it interesting that, “The world will need to grow 60 percent more food by 2050 to feed the growing population.”
Transform the Analytical Power of Your SCIEX Mass Spec with SelexION Technology
If you are working with complex assays that demand exceptionally selective quantitative and qualitative performance, sometimes even the most powerful LC-MS/MS technology can’t always cut it alone.
Fipronil Contamination in Eggs Update
Since my last blog, there has been an ongoing investigation into the widespread impact of contaminated egg products. According to The Grocer, 26 more egg foods were pulled from shelves in the fipronil scandal, bringing the total number to 69 products....