Microflow LC with SWATH® Acquisition for Digitizing Biobanks What if you could access thousands of high-quality samples for your research? What if these samples were well-annotated biological specimens? And what if they were carefully segmented into just the...
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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...
Setting Records with Fast Glycan Technology
There is a lot of talk going around in the lab, and it has to do with the newly released Fast Glycan Labeling and Analysis technology. Where once research analysts needed to set aside days to perform glycan analysis, now takes an hour or so. Glycans are immediately identified by the software – so no need for data interpretation. That’s up to 5x faster than HILIC.
Confidently Screen For Your Usual Suspects—Plus Those That May Be Lurking Within Your Food Sample
The demand on labs throughout the world to run their triple quadrupole mass spectrometers to maximum capacity is ever increasing. Instruments are often operated continuously to ensure regulatory screening requirements are satisfied for targeted pesticides, mycotoxins, and veterinary drugs. Whether you are a commercial lab or a food manufacturer, the quality of the data you acquire is vital to your business. You must be certain that the last batch of strawberries you tested conform to pesticides regulations—your targeted list of usual suspects.
Turning up the Speed on Forensic Toxicology Screening and Quantitation
Working in a forensic lab means technicians want super high-quality data in ultra-fast time. Yet, how do you go about detecting an unlimited number of analytes without re-injecting the sample all while new targeted compounds are being added to the screened panel? In the following application note, “Ultra-Fast Forensic Toxicological Screening and Quantitation in Under 3 Minutes Using SCIEX X500R QTOF System and SCIEX OS 1.0 Software,” researchers set out to achieve a fast method that could detect an unlimited number of analytes with all information afforded mass accuracy, LC retention time, and MS/MS spectral library matching.
What Food Safety Trends are Coming This Year?
As we settle into 2017, I can’t help but reflect on the previous year’s food safety. Take for example the legislative changes meant to contain contamination outbreaks like those happening in places like China, Singapore, and New Zealand. Over the past year, we have developed new methods that detect antibiotics in poultry feed, LC-MS/MS Analysis of Emerging Contaminants, and help set food standards in China. All the while developing more sophisticated technology to keep up with testing demands.
Never Stop Learning with SCIEX University
Did you know that when you log into SCIEXUniversity, you have 24/7 access to educational tools? Simply click on the Support from SCIEX.com and select SCIEXUniversity. Here you will find more than 100 newly revamped courses developed by in-house experts, scientists, and researchers who, just like you, are interested in the next scientific breakthrough. Whether you are a beginner mass spec user or have years of experience, these online and on-site courses are designed with you, the user, in mind. What is more is that the course catalog offers self-paced training and certification programs to help you get better acquainted with software, instrumentation, and workflows
Fast and Simultaneous Analysis of Ethanol Metabolites and Barbiturates
While most analytes in forensic applications analyze well with positive ionization, there are analytes that show better ionization efficiency with negative ionization, for example, acidic compounds. These analytes include ethanol metabolites such as ethyl glucuronide (ETG), ethyl sulfate (ETS), and the barbiturates such as amobarbital, butabarbital, butalbital, pentobarbital, phenobarbital, and secobarbital.
It’s a Point and Click World with the X500B QTOF System for Biologics Characterization
Did you know the X500B QTOF system makes point and click workflows for Biologics Characterization possible on your mass spectrometer? The newly-designed SCIEX OS software interface brings to life fluid navigation and ease of use so you can keep moving forward on your scientific discoveries. In fact, it’s so simple to learn and operate that you and your team can be up and running faster than you might expect.
PPCP Detection in Drinkwater is no Match for the QTRAP® 5500
SCIEX is no stranger to drinking water analysis, and the Environmental Compendium once again addresses the topic in an application note which covers LC-MS/MS with Fast Polarity Switching. Using the QTRAP® 5500, researchers were able to detect a large panel of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCP’s) while performing fast positive/negative switching all from a single injection. Method details go the distance in this application note, as five experiments were called into action for comparison.
From Extraction to Cleanup—Measuring Mycotoxins from Cornmeal Products
When we look at emerging food trends for this coming year, you may be surprised to find that the US cornmeal market is making headlines as it is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of two percent by 20201. This is the type of news that excites us, scientists, as it reminds us why we test for things like mycotoxins in cornmeal and the impact such analysis has on farmers and food manufacturers.
See How Easy It Can Be to Get Expert Results for Biologics Characterization
Learning a new mass spec system can be a daunting task. Aside from the opportunity costs of training new users, you might face the hassle of downtime, and the wait to get expert help when needed. The X500B QTOF system puts a new spin on biologics characterization workflows because it is so easy to learn and operate that you can be up and running much faster than you expect. Powerful new software tools dramatically streamline method development and data processing, to enable everyone in your lab to get expert results. It’s fast because it’s easy, even for new users.
Getting a Clean Match in Forensic Toxicology using LC-MS/MS
As a forensic scientist, what holds you back in the lab? It’s a question we often ask ourselves here at SCIEX, as product development depends on customer wants, needs, satisfaction, and ease of workflow. Ensuring evidence can withstand forensic scrutiny, for example, correlates with the integrity of testing procedures. Knowing this, how do you convince your staff to be confident in results, or convey technical data to a non-technical courtroom audience? If you have been left wondering how to get to the bottom of topics like these, check out the following toxicology toolkit. It’s a bundle of resources at your fingertips that includes a webinar led by Tania A. Saski Ph.D., Northwest Physician Laboratories, Bellevue, Using QTRAP® Technology to Provide Accurate Identification and Confirmation Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, and so much more
Looking to Quantify and Identify Pesticides in your Food Samples?
Visit our offices on any given day, and you are likely to discover researchers putting mass spectrometry to the test. The hum of the mass spectrometer is as common as conversations as scientists are tasked with developing methods that can be applied in real-world lab scenarios. In this case, André Schreiber SCIEX, Concord, Ontario, Canada, detailed, Comprehensive Quantitation and Identification of Pesticides in Food Samples Using the SCIEX UltraLC 100* and the SCIEX QTRAP® 4500 System.
Discover the New X500B QTOF System, the Simpler, Faster Path to Biologics Characterization Answers
Have you ever wished for a compact instrument that delivers expert-level answers to your most complex biotherapeutic characterization challenges faster and easier than what you are doing now? At SCIEX, we recognize that even expert users want easier ways to perform daily characterization tasks and get great results every time. That’s why we set out to develop the X500B QTOF system: a robust and reliable new instrument and software solution that reduces complexity and simplifies biologics characterization workflows so every scientist can get expert-level results
How to Achieve Higher Sensitivity with Hybrid Immunoaffinity LC-MS Assays
Protein-based biotherapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a growing component of pharmaceutical companies’ drug pipelines. The growth of ADCs in particular is due to their ability to selectivity target and deliver a potent molecule to a cancer cell based on a specific tumor marker. In order to support this growing class of new drug molecules, robust and reliable bioanalytical methods are required. While ligand binding assays (LBAs) like ELISA have been the most popular platform for biotherapeutic quantitation, bioanalytical scientists have been increasingly adopting hybrid LBA/LC-MS methods in this area.
The Application of Research Grade MetabolitePilot™ Software for the Determination of the Catabolic Peptide Products of Exenatide
The stability of peptide and protein biotherapeutics directly impacts their pharmacokinetic profile, efficacy, and safety. It is therefore essential to characterize the stability of a given bio-therapeutic including both in-vivo and in-vitro catabolism, thereby...
LC-MS/MS Screening of 64 New Psychoactive Substances Using Dried Blood Spots
There is a lot you can tell from a droplet of blood as it’s snapshot of what could be present in a body at any given moment. In the following application note, LC-MS/MS Screening of 64 New Psychoactive Substances Using Dried Blood Spots, researchers did just...
LC-MS/MS Analysis of Emerging Food Contaminants
Ever wish you had access to the most up to date application methods but don’t know where to find them? The Food and Beverage Compendium is your one-stop resource for research notes ranging from pesticides, allergens, and antibiotics to mycotoxins, vitamins, and...
Is Your Beverage Truly 100% Fruit Juice?
There is nothing like the flavor of fruit juice whether freshly squeezed or made from concentrate to clench your thirst, except when it’s not 100 percent juice after all. As the following tech note, “Authenticity Assessment of Fruit Juices using LC-MS/MS and...
Superbugs, Antibiotic Resistance, and the QTRAP® 6500+ System
‘Superbugs’, or bacteria that have developed antibiotic resistance as a result of adapting to the drugs used in their treatment, are dangerous infections that doctors struggle to stop from spreading. Even common infections such as urinary tract infections and...
Vice President Biden Announces Agreement Naming Children’s Medical Research Institute’s ProCan Lab to the ‘Cancer Moonshot’ Initiative
A key goal of the ‘Cancer Moonshot’ initiative is the advancement of precision medicine, with the goal of making more targeted therapies available to more cancer patients. And researchers believe that the time is right, with the new technological innovations, the new insight into the biology of cancer and big improvements in the handling of ‘big data.’