Did you know that in the US, drugs and other chemicals are classified into 5 distinct categories depending on the drug’s acceptable medical use and its potential for abuse or dependency? Drugs federally classified as Schedule I substances by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are considered to have the highest potential for abuse and for creating severe psychological and/or physical dependence. In addition to heroin, LSD and MDMA (ecstasy), cannabis is classified as a Schedule I substance in the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, which means it has no approved medical usage.
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6 Signs it’s time for a new vendor
A lab’s success depends on many factors from instrument quality to efficient operations, including being partnered with the right vendor. A vendor is more than just a supplier. They should provide you with a high-level quality of support in maximizing the lifespan and performance of your systems, reducing downtime, enhancing ROI and more. How do you know if you’re partnered with the right one? Here are six signs it might be time to find someone new.
Selecting an LC-MS system for quantitation of pharmaceutical drug development
We understand you are busy, needing to prioritize running instruments, reporting results and managing your laboratory to meet deadlines. We created a solution guide to explain how SCIEX systems fit in the drug development pipeline to save you time evaluating options.
Celebrating customer experience: Insights from SCIEX leaders
Introduction Customer Experience Day (CX Day) is a special occasion for SCIEX, celebrated every first Tuesday in October. It’s a day dedicated to recognizing the incredible value of our customers and the relentless dedication of our associates who strive to make...
PFAS analysis in food: a robustness study in sensitivity and stability
The combination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) testing, trace-level regulatory requirements and complex MS applications can be intimidating. In a recent webinar, now available on demand, SCIEX PFAS expert Craig Butt demonstrated how the new SCIEX 7500+ system can help make PFAS testing easier.
Your success and voice go a long way!
At the heart of everything we do is ensuring that your workflows and team are empowered to achieve optimal results with your SCIEX instruments, software, consumables, and services. Every interaction with SCIEX is designed to support your success through the dedication...
LC-MS system replacement: Are you ready?
Meeting deadlines in a bioanalysis laboratory can be a big challenge. Older, less sensitive and less reliable LC-MS systems make it even more difficult. Even the disruption caused by the installation and validation can be disconcerting and delay decisions. Does this sound familiar?
Understanding technical debt: the hidden cost of ignoring problems
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, businesses heavily rely on software and IT systems to drive their operations. However, the pursuit of efficiency and speed often leads to the accumulation of what is known as technical debt. Technical debt refers to the implied cost incurred when businesses choose quick but limited solutions over better approaches that may take more time to implement. This blog post will delve into the concept of technical debt, its implications for businesses and how to avoid falling victim to its detrimental effects.
Optimized rolling collision energy curves for IDA and SWATH DIA for peptides
During data dependent acquisition (DDA or IDA) or SWATH acquisition, the collision energy can be automatically adjusted according to the mass/charge and charge of the peptide. This dependency has been well characterized on our QTOF systems. By selecting rolling...
Rescheduling a Schedule I substance, and the Delta-8 controversy
Did you know that in the US, drugs and other chemicals are classified into 5 distinct categories depending on the drug’s acceptable medical use and its potential for abuse or dependency? Drugs federally classified as Schedule I substances by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are considered to have the highest potential for abuse and for creating severe psychological and/or physical dependence. In addition to heroin, LSD and MDMA (ecstasy), cannabis is classified as a Schedule I substance in the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, which means it has no approved medical usage.
sMRM Pro Builder template tutorial
The sMRM Pro Builder template is an Excel-based tool that can help you implement large panels of analytes in your lab. The Excel sheet will take your preliminary experimental results and compute retention times, retention time window widths and dwell time weighting to optimize your targeted assay.
Mass spectrometry as a forensic science tool in 2020
There’s no doubt about it: forensics is at the front line of the criminal justice system. It’s where analytical chemistry has the power to fight crimes. It’s fascinating! But what excites me is how quickly things change and the speed of innovation. Just think about...
Microflow for metabolite ID: a win all around
Over the last several years there has been a slow and steady progression within the LC-MS community to move traditional high-flow applications to lower flow rates. In particular, moving into the microflow regime has proven to be a simple adjustment in methodology that...
A year of cannabis in Canada. Where are we and what’s next?
It’s been a momentous year for the cannabis industry in Canada. Not only did the country legalize cannabis with the Canadian cannabis law in October 2018, but it has also taken a giant leap in setting up a multi-billion dollar market from scratch. The progress made...
Take 5 with SCIEX Global Technical Marketing’s Pierre Negri
With the rise of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS), or designer drugs, in the past decade, forensic toxicologists are being tested like never before. It seems like as soon as one analog is identified, another is synthesized. These new chemicals share structures with...
When is a triple quadrupole not a triple quadrupole?
Answer: When it’s a QTRAP® In today’s modern and frenzied analytical laboratories, triple quadrupole mass spectrometers (MS) are the ‘workhorse,’ frontline instrument for carrying out quantitative assays from drug discovery to food safety. To get the best selectivity...
Turbo charging your LC-MS/MS analysis
Would you like to take your LC-MS/MS analysis from 0 to 3 mL/min without the complexity of changing probes or splitting the LC flow? Then take a look into the Turbo V ion source from SCIEX. Introduced more than 15 years ago, the Turbo V ion source continues to be a...
Separation anxiety: Choosing the best approach to quantify the lipidome
Front-End Solutions for Lipid AnalysisWhich method should you choose? Lipids are a diverse group of compounds that serve many purposes. They are the basis for key biological entities including cell membranes, hormones, and lipoproteins and are involved in a variety...
Your 3 most googled queries about cannabis testing answered
I did some digging on Google and decided to help answer the top 3 most searched queries about cannabis testing methods and technology, for both marijuana and hemp. 1. What equipment should I use to test my cannabis and hemp samples for mycotoxins,...
Boar taint isn’t so simple
The title says it all. Boar taint is a complex subject. For some, it’s not an issue. Others argue that it’s one of the biggest challenges to pork quality. It’s a very subjective response. In her blog, Dr. Laura Hancox illustrates the striking difference between the...
A beginner’s instrumentation guide to cannabis analysis
One question I get asked a lot when it comes to cannabis, specifically regarding marijuana and hemp analysis, is: There are so many techniques to choose from, how do I know which one is best? I can’t emphasize enough that the Cannabis sativa plant has a complex...
Worth the Journey – From Immunoassay to LC-MS/MS Adoption
The journey to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) adoption from immunoassay can be complicated, but certainly rewarding. While immunoassay has been considered the default methodology for decades, they can be susceptible to interferences and cross-reactivity, especially for...
Journey to the Center of the Vape – Part 1
The safety of vaping has recently become a topic of concern. The public wants answers about the safety of these products. Health authorities are scrambling to find the cause of the mysterious vaping illness that has been seen in hundreds of cases across the U.S., and...
Top 5 Analytical Challenges for Pesticides in Cannabis
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...
To Switch or Not to Switch? That is the Question.
Why Polarity Switching Matters The BasicsIn today’s busy analytical laboratories, productivity and high sample throughput are constant demands. More samples need to be analyzed in a shorter timeframe. Laboratories must work to use equipment at its maximum capacity,...
Improving precision
Factors that affect the reproducibility of your assay As scientists, we know our experiments must be reproducible. Without it, there is always doubt as to whether our data interpretations and conclusions are truly sound. With LC-MS/MS quantitative methods, high...
30 years of LC-MS/MS innovation continues
In 1989, the first commercial, dedicated Atmospheric Pressure Ionisation (API) tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry system was launched at the Pittsburgh Conference (PittCon) in Atlanta, Georgia (GA), USA. The API III, as it was called, was introduced to the analytical...
Drugs of Abuse Analysis: How LC-MS/MS Reduced Run Times by 66% and Tripled Throughput
Elevate Performance in Your Forensic Toxicology LabYou only need to skim through the United Nations World Drug Report 2018 to see that drug abuse is escalating. Associated with numerous medical, social, and legal problems, it comes as no surprise that ‘drugs of abuse’...
Same Pesticides, Same Risks, Different Standards
Should we be worried about our health because our produce contains pesticides? The answer very much depends on where in the world you live–or where your food comes from. When it comes to protecting people from harmful pesticide residues in food, standards around the...
3 Advantages of Clinical Mass Spectrometry
Are you thinking about replacing existing immunoassay technology with clinical mass spectrometry? Keep reading to discover how the 3 “S”s will help you make the decision. 1. How does sensitivity play a role? Many of the analytes measured in a clinical chemistry lab...
“There’s Nothing Wrong with a Little Bit of Mold.” WRONG!
Has anyone ever said to you, “There’s nothing wrong with a bit of mold”? No one likes to waste food, and it’s not unusual for people to scrape or pick mold off of foods before eating! Believe it or not, there’s guidance on foods that are (and are not) safe to eat if...