Fentanyl is one of the most well-known synthetic opioids that has been in the spotlight lately—and not for good reasons. The World Drug Report 2019 reveals that there have been more than 47,000 opioid overdose deaths in the United States in 2017. This is an increase...
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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,...
3 Dicamba Analysis Questions You Need to Ask Yourself Today
We blinked and the last two years went in a flash. It seems like just yesterday, the Dicamba herbicide controversy hit the headlines in 2016 and the EPA set the regulations to expire in two years. Fast forward to today. Dicamba is an acid herbicide used to kill...
Don’t Be a Food Scandal Scapegoat. Fight Back with LC-MS/MS for Your Meat Authenticity Testing
The infamous horsemeat scandal of 2013 shined a spotlight on the questionable integrity of our meat supply. What followed was a lengthy investigation as the extent of the scandal unraveled before our eyes, reaching far beyond the European borders...
It’s Time to Turn Things Around―Faster and Accurate Mass Analysis of Organic Explosives
Sadly, the world is a volatile place. The threat of organic explosive use by terrorists and criminals is very much with us, posing a significant danger to people worldwide. The rising concern for public safety is a top priority for national security organizations...
Push Your Research to the Cutting Edge: 2018 Global CESI-MS Symposium
There are a lot of conferences vying for your attention every year. The Global CESI-MS Symposium on October 10-11 in the Netherlands is one you can’t afford to miss. It is the place to hear about the latest advancements made through the adoption of CESI-MS...
Break the routine: SCIEX OS-MQ improves your quantitation workflows
Advances in today’s technology have resulted in a need for higher and faster sample throughput, with increasing number of measured analytes per sample. The new SCIEX OS-MQ software breaks the routine and takes quantitation workflows to a new level. Key features...
Stop Fumbling Around in the Dark: Try LC-MS/MS for Designer Drugs in Forensic Samples
Imagine being blindfolded, sent into a large (dark) room filled with obstacles and challenged to find an item, but you don’t know what that item is, and you have never seen it before. Then you must do the same again the next day, but you are looking for a different...
Something’s in the Water: Tackle Your PFAS Analysis
Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) residues could be dangerous. These chemicals have been linked to a variety of adverse health effects including liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression,...
5 Reasons Why Mass Spec is Transforming Clinical Labs
According to the American Clinical Laboratory Association, more than 7 billion clinical lab tests are performed in the U.S. every year. While mass spectrometry represents only a fraction of the clinical applications, there are a growing number of tests where mass...
Save Effort. Save Time. Consolidate Your BioTherapeutic Quality, Safety, and Efficacy Assessments with One Direct LC-MS MAM Assay.
In a previous blog, we learned how you could Simplify Your Life with a Streamlined Workflow for Multiple Attribute Methodology (MAM). Based on the well-known technique of peptide mapping, a Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-based MAM workflow (LC-MS MAM) enables...
Metabolism and Biotransformation – What Are You Missing?
Are you looking to improve your MetID studies? Want to achieve the productivity and throughput you need to keep your projects moving and have complete confidence that you’re not missing any low level or parent-like metabolites in your sample? In this blog, we’re...
Biologics Characterization: Intact and Subunit Mass Analysis
When All You Need Is Range – Mass Range, Dynamic Range, and the Complete Range Launching the best possible product in the shortest time possible is key for pharmaceutical companies like you. As you know, nearly every process throughout the biologics development cycle...
Now You Can Overcome Your Food and Environmental Testing Obstacles
How do you safeguard human health and protect your reputation through meeting stringent global food and environmental safety standards? When it comes to testing food and environmental samples, the quality of your testing data is vital to your business. You need fast...
Unraveling the Metabolome
Dr. David Wishart, Departments of Biological Sciences and Computing Science, University of AlbertaCanada’s TMIC is an internationally-recognized leader in metabolomics, providing tools and resources that are used by laboratories around the world. The center offers...
It’s Time to Stop Fraudulent Food Reaching the Consumer with LC-MS/MS
If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you are fully acquainted with food fraud, but let’s just take a moment to set the scene. Food fraud is by no means a new phenomenon and goes as far back as the middle ages, with the concept of tampering or...
Product Quality Assessments of Biotherapeutics Using LC-MS MAM
Why LC-MS MAM?The Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Multiple Attribute Methodology (LC-MS MAM) is a technique that is quickly gaining traction in the development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. But what exactly is MAM? As researchers describe in a...
Ion Formation Control Is the Key to Increasing System Robustness
Traditional mass spectrometry ionization methods such as electronic spray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), are popular methods for detecting the molecular weight of proteins, peptides, and other biologics. The reason being both...
Why You Need Mass Spec for Veterinary Drug Residue and Antibiotic Analysis
As hospitals struggle with increasingly hard-to-treat antimicrobial resistance (ARM) bacterial infections, related deaths now exceed 700,000 per year globally and are predicted to reach 10 million per year by 2050. There’s no denying that these statistics are both...
Simplify Your Life with a Streamlined Workflow for Multiple Attribute Methodology (MAM)
The effort to fully characterize and release a biotherapeutic to the market can be onerous. Typically, many tests are required to identify and monitor various attributes of the final product in order to ensure the safety and efficacy of the drug. These product quality...
Solving the Mystery of Forensic Quantitative Analysis
Why You Need Differential Mobility Spectrometry for Forensic Mass Spec Analysis Forensics depend on detection of even the smallest compounds to deliver results you can rely on. You need fast analysis methods that provide highly accurate data across a multitude of...
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...