Mass spectrometry techniques

 

 

Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)

 

Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (LCMS)

 

Proton Transfer Reaction - Time Of Flight - Mass Spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS)

 

Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

 

 

Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)

 

 

GC-MS is a powerful analytical technique that combines gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectrometry (MS). In this technique, a sample is first separated using GC, and the individual components are then ionized and fragmented in the mass spectrometer, generating a mass spectrum that can be used to identify the individual components of the sample. GC is known for its high sensitivity and selectivity, making it suitable for the analysis of trace levels of compounds in complex matrices. This technique is widely used in the analysis of volatile and semi-volatile compounds, such as those found in environmental samples, cosmetics, food and beverages, and pharmaceuticals.

 

 

Equipment

  • Agilent 7890 & 8890 series GCs with Quadrapole Time of Flight (QTOF), Triple Quadrapole (QQQ), Mass Spec (MS)
  • Perkin Elmer Head Space Turbomatrix 110 & ATD650

 

  • GCMS Bottles

    Life science capabilities and applications

    • Taints investigations (off-flavours or odours in drugs, excipients, or other pharmaceutical products)
    • Flavour Profiling against custom libraries
    • Detection and quantification of nitrosamines
    • Extractables and leachables (detection, identification, and quantification of a wide range of volatile and semi-volatile compounds)
    • Non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) identification and quantification
    • Troubleshooting
    • Multiple sample introduction capabilities Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) , HeadSpace (HS), Liquid, Thermal Desorption (TD)

Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) & LC-MS/MS

 

Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) combines liquid chromatography (LC) with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). In this technique, a sample is first separated using LC, and the individual components are then ionized and fragmented in the mass spectrometer, generating a mass spectrum that can be used to identify and quantify the individual components of the sample. LC-MS/MS is widely used in the analysis of non-volatile and polar compounds, such as those found in biological samples, food and beverages, and pharmaceuticals. 

 

 

Equipment

 

  • Agilent Quadrapole Time of Flight (Q-ToF) 6545 coupled with Agilent Infinity 1290 UHPLC
  • Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris 240 coupled with Vanquish flex UHPLC
  • Thermo Scientific Orbitrap QExactive coupled with Ultimate 3000 UHPLC
  • Agilent QToF 6520, coupled with 1200 LC
  • Waters Xevo TQ
  • APCI and ESI ion sources available
  • 6546 Q Tof LC MS

    Life science capabilities and applications

    • Identification and quantification of organic compounds including biologics
    • Product Development (Early stage to CMC) support
    • Impurity profiling
    • Structural characterisation
    • Release testing
    • Stability testing including forced degradation studies
    • Impurity identification (structural elucidation) and quantification
    • Investigatory analysis
    • Comparative analysis
    • Method validation
    • Method transfer
    • Method verification
    • Pharmacopeial Testing
    • Extractable and leachable studies (migration of a wide range of substances from packaging and equipment into pharmaceutical and medical products)
    • Medical Device E&L studies
    • Protein identification via intact protein analysis and peptide mapping using various proteolytic enzymes
    • Protein Post-translational modifications
    • Viral vector characterisation
    • Lipids
    • Proteomics experiments for novel food
    • Oligonucleotides and mRNA
    • Protein quantification
    • All methods and testing performed under GMP requirements and FDA & MHRA inspected.

Proton Transfer Reaction - Time of Flight - Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS)

 

PTR-TOF-MS uses proton transfer reactions to ionise and detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the gas phase. In this technique, a sample is introduced into a reaction chamber where it reacts with a protonated reagent gas, generating a mass spectrum that can be used to identify and quantify the individual VOCs in the sample, after ionisation, the ions are accelerated into a TOF mass spectrometer, where they are separated based on their mass-to-charge ratios. The time taken for ions to reach the detector is used to determine their mass. The combination of PTR and TOD enables real-time detection of compounds with minimal sample preparation. 

 

 

Equipment

 

·         PTR-TOF-MS (IONICON analytik)

  • PTR TOF MS

    Life science capabilities and applications

    • Impurity identification
    • Excipient compatibility
    • Forced degradation studies 
  • Pharmachem RD 4915 HR

    Food capabilities & applications

    • In vitro analysis - detection of aroma compounds either in headspace (static headspace) or over time (dynamic headspace)
    • In vivo analysis - detection of released aroma compounds in the nose space of panellists during consumption
    • Aroma release/availability testing
    • Investigatory/ Traceability/ Comparative analysis for example identification and quantification of volatile markers in food products for traceability and authentication purposes
    • Research applications such as flavour profiling to analyse the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) responsible for flavour and aroma in food products, this can be a powerful in the development of new products and the optimisation of existing ones
    • Shelf-life monitoring
    • Process optimization as the PTR-TOF-MS can be used to monitor and optimize the production processes of food products in real-time, assisting with improvements in the efficiency and consistency of the processes.
    • Analytical measurements can be used to support findings from sensory panel data
    • Quality control such as to detect and quantify volatile compounds in food products, such as off-flavours and aromas 

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) 

 

Used to determine the concentration of elements in a wide range of samples. ICP-MS is a highly sensitive analytical technique used for the detection of elements at parts per billion (ppb) and parts per trillion (ppt) levels. It's particularly powerful for trace element analysis due to its high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and multi-element capability. ICP-MS works by ionising the atoms of the elements in a sample using a high-temperature inductively coupled plasma, and then separating and detecting those ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio using a mass spectrometer. A benefit of the ICP-MS technique is the ability to analyse multiple elements simultaneously to produce reliable, reproducible results. 

 

 

Equipment

 

  • Agilent 7700 Series with only one quadrupole (mass analyser).
  • Agilent 8800 Series with two quadrupoles
  • Agilent 8900 Series: ICP-QQQ
  • ICP MS

    Life science capabilities and applications

    • Impurity analysis
    • Purity assessment
    • Extractable and leachable study support
    • Technique recognised by all world pharmacopeia (EP, USP, JP)
    • Raw material evaluation (elemental composition)
    • Capability of analysing samples for up to 72 elements, including varying isotopes
    • Elemental determination can be a screen or fully quantitative (e.g screens for the 24 elements listed as the ICH Q3D Elemental impurities for pharmaceuticals, which can also be done as fully quantitative determinations)
    • UKAS accredited determinations in food for: Al, As, Br, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, I, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn
    • Pharmacopeial testing (Eg: Titanium dioxide elemental impurity testing)
    • GMP accredited testing
    • Assay and Limit testing
    • Investigatory and Comparative analysis
    • Method development for a wide variety of new and unfamiliar matrices
    • Method validation and verification to client specific and/or pharmacopeial requirements
    • Risk assessment as per chapter Five of ICH Q3D guide on elemental impurities