High resolution ion mobility mass spectrometer and high performance liquid chromatography system

• Subject Area: Biological Chemistry and Food Chemistry
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 584879437

A high‑resolution mass spectrometer equipped with integrated ion‑mobility spectrometry is an innovative analytical instrument that opens up new possibilities for the mass‑spectrometric analysis of complex biological samples and is essential for research focuses in the field of metabolomics. With this system, metabolic pathways and metabolic changes can be investigated comprehensively. Consequently, both structural information and functional insights into a wide variety of small molecules that occur in the human body, in foods, and in plants are obtained. Particularly, studies on metabolome alterations associated with physiological and disease‑related processes are of great importance. In addition, the instrument is intended to characterize complex, structurally similar substances—such as isomeric plant metabolites, oxidatively modified nucleosides, and DNA adducts. The hardware configuration is designed to meet these demanding analytical questions; therefore, the high‑resolution mass spectrometer must provide sufficiently high mass resolving power and mass accuracy as well as maximal sensitivity, so that low‑abundance compounds can be unambiguously identified even in highly complex matrices. Ion‑mobility spectrometry further enables the effective separation of isobaric stereoisomers, which is especially advantageous for the characterization of unknown metabolites and isomers. Coupling the system to a biocompatible ultra‑high‑performance liquid chromatography guarantees optimal separation of analytes—particularly small metabolites—prior to electrospray ionization and detection. As the liquid‑chromatography platform is highly flexible and can incorporate online solid‑phase extraction techniques, the instrument can be used in a versatile manner. Overall, the high‑resolution mass spectrometer with integrated ion‑mobility spectrometry makes a decisive contribution to strengthening the analytical infrastructure for metabolomics and related research areas.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Hochauflösendes Massenspektrometer inkl. Ionenmobilität und Hochleistungsflüs-sigchromatographen
• Instrumentation Group: 1700 Massenspektrometer
• Applicant Institution: Universität Münster
• Leader: Professorin Dr. Melanie Esselen