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.
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Nitrosamines: Where are we now?
Nitrosamines are a large group of N-nitroso compounds that share a common functional N-N=O group. They are produced by a chemical reaction between a nitrosating agent and a secondary or tertiary amine. Back in 2018, nitrosamines suddenly found themselves in the spotlight when they were unexpectedly detected in medications for high blood pressure. Since then, they have been found in several other prescription medications, including those for heartburn, acid reflux and diabetes, resulting in manufacturers recalling some common medications.
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.
Questions and answers to help improve your mycotoxin analysis
During a recent webinar I shared method details for mycotoxin analysis on the SCIEX 7500 system. In this blog i will share the Q&A for the submitted questions that we did not have chance to answer during the live webinar.
Excel macro for calculating averages or percent CVs from replicates in a 384 -well plate
This excel workbook is designed to be used with data copied from a SCIEX OS software Analytics module results file
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 to optimize sample plating to run Echo MS system in ‘Fast acquisition mode’
The Echo MS system can acquire data extremely rapidly, at 1 second per sample. To achieve this speed, it should be ensured that there is adequate time between ejections for the analyte signal to return to baseline between ejections. Plating your samples such that you...
How do I check the quality of the Auto Retention Time Calibration used in my Extractor processing?
When using the Auto-Calibration option in Extractor, a set of retention time calibration peptides will be determined automatically from the library and used for RT calibration. To determine how the fit looks for the calibration on each datafile, follow these steps....
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.
MRM method transfer from a SCIEX Triple Quad or QTRAP 6500+ system to the SCIEX 7500 system
General recommendations when beginning method development Objective: The purpose of this document is to provide a quick reference for transferring MRM-based quantification methods from a SCIEX Triple Quad or QTRAP 6500+ system to a SCIEX 7500 system. While the best...
Short-chain PFAS compounds are on the rise- Craig’s PFAS Vodcast Cora Young
Read time: 2 minutes Short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are increasing in the Canadian Arctic environment, with the most rapid increases occurring post-2000, according to a recent study in Geophysical Research Letters (April 2020). For example,...
Trends shaping global environmental analytical testing
The only certainty in a changing environmental landscape Despite a 38-fold increase in environmental laws put in place around the world since 1972, the future of our planet is under the spotlight like never before. Mitigating climate change has arrived as our world's...
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...