Triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with nano chromatography system

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 501861176

The combination of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, commonly referred to by the acronym LC-MS, enables the highly specific and sensitive identification and quantification of small and large molecules. It has now become a widely used standard method both in diagnostics and in cell and molecular biology research. Targeted LC-MS analyzes aim at the directed analysis of selected proteins or metabolites, which can be identified and precisely quantified in a highly specific and extremely sensitive manner in body fluids, tissues and cells down to the low atomol level. Ideally, these analyzes are carried out with LC-MS systems consisting of micro- or nanoLC and triple quadrupole MS, which are designed for selected / multiple reaction monitoring (SRM, MRM). These LC-MS systems and the associated methodology are increasingly being used instead of antibodies for the detection and quantification of proteins. In connection with proteins and MRM technology, one speaks of “mass western”.The equipment application presented here is intended to apply for a new LC-MS of the triple quadrupole type with nanoLC for the Research Core Facility (RCF) proteomics, which enables targeted MS analyzes at the highest level for the detection and quantification of proteins. RCF-Proteomics has existed since 2004 and carries out MS-based analyzes of proteins and proteomes for many working groups at the MHH and in own scientific projects. In more than 100 projects, several thousand samples are analyzed annually with targeted and untargeted methods.Currently, only an almost 10-year-old LC-MS system is available for taregted analysis, which came onto the market over 16 years ago. In order for RCF-Proteomics to continue to support and advance the excellent research at the MHH with targeted LC-MS analyzes and to enable new, highly interesting projects in the future, a new and above all more sensitive nanoLC triple quadrupole MS is necessary. The System to procure should have an ion mobility module and a trap function in Q3, which enables scans over the entire mass range and MS3 measurements. In unclear cases, this is important to validate the measurement data and to increase the specificity, especially for the directed analysis of proteins, and is therefore an essential option.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Triple-Quadrupol-Massenspektrometer mit nano-Chromatographiesystem
• Instrumentation Group: 1700 Massenspektrometer
• Applicant Institution: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
• Leader: Professor Dr. Andreas Pich