Mass Spectrometry
The Georgia Institute of Technology Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility provides molecular mass analysis to researchers across campus as well as to other academic and industrial institutions both state and nationwide. The Facility is located in the basement of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (IBB) and was established in January 2003. It currently houses eight mass spectrometers, six of which are recently acquired, state-of-the-art, tandem mass spectrometers. These research grade instruments are the ABI 4000 QTrap, ABI 4700 Proteomics Analyzer, two ABI QSTAR-XLs, ABI Voyager DE STR, and a Waters AutoSpec M. Routine service analyses are also performed on the Micromass Quattro LC TofSpec 2E, as well as the research instruments listed above. Collectively these instruments provide a unique and complementary mass spectrometry capability to investigators at Georgia Tech with regard to identification, structure elucidation, and quantitation of widely different molecular species. A more complete description of each instrument’s capabilities is as follows:
Applied Biosystems 4000 QTrap
Installed 2004
The 4000 QTrap is a hybrid quadrupole / linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometer. It is interfaced with Shimadzu HPLC pumps and Perkin Elmer autosampler in addition to both electrospray ionization (ESI) and has the interface for coupling with the TriVersa nanomate system. These can be used with analytical to nano-scale chromatography for the separation and analysis of complex biological mixtures with high sensitivity in difficult matrices. This instrument is capable of performing as a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer utilizing product, precursor, or neutral loss scans for structure elucidation or in conjunction with liquid chromatography (LC) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) analysis for quantitation. Additionally, the instrument may be used as an ion trap mass spectrometer where enhanced resolution, product ion scans, or MS/MS/MS (MS3) functions may be used to determine charge state, or molecular connectivity relationships, respectively.
Applied Biosystems 4700 Proteomics Analyzer
Installed 2003
The 4700 is a tandem time-of-flight / time-of-flight (TOF/TOF) mass spectrometer that generates ions via matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) with a 200Hz Nd:YAG laser. This rapid laser fire rate enables a 10-fold increase in sample throughput in data collection vs. other MALDI instruments. This instrument is equipped with both linear and reflecting detectors. The former is used for large molecular mass species (> 10 kDa) with low resolution, and the latter is used for high resolution (>10,000 FWHM), accurate mass measurement (< 50 ppm, external calibration; < 10 ppm, internal calibration) of lower molecular mass species (< 10 kDa). The ABI 4700 is a true tandem mass spectrometer whereby MS/MS is performed via timed precursor ion selection with subsequent dissociation by either metastable or high-energy collision induced dissociation (CID). The facility has an additional stand alone Dionex capillary/nano LC system including Ultimate pumps, Famos autosampler, as well as a Switchos II dual 10-port microswitching valves, and a Probot fractioning device. This station allows automated multidimensional chromatography enabling separation and analysis of complex mixtures of different compounds. Moreover, the effluent from the nanoLC may be mixed with MALDI matrix and robotically spotted directly onto MALDI plates for LC-MALDI analysis with very high sensitivity (~fmol).
TriVersa Nanomate
Installed 2006
The TriVersa nanomate is a chip-based nanospray device. The nanospray chip contains an array of 400 discrete nanospray nozzles having internal diameters ranging from 5.5 – 2.5 um (A-chip – 5.5um, D-chip-4.1um, G-Chip-2.5um). This instrument is capable of three modes of nanospray operation: direct infusion, coupling with liquid chromatography, and LC coupling with fraction collection. In infusion mode a small quantity of sample in solution (~5uL) is drawn up and sprayed at very low flow rates (~350 nL/min A-chip, ~150 nL/min D-chip, and ~20 nL/min G-chip). These low flow rates allow very high sensitivity, very low sample consumption, and extended analysis time. In LC-coupling mode, effluent from HPLC can be directed to the nanomate where the flow is split to allow a portion of the flow (~300-400 nL/min) to be analyzed via MS or MS/MS with the balance directed to waste. Flow rates from 1 mL/min to 5 uL/min can be interfaced with the nanomate as the split ratio can be varied by changing the length and internal diameter of tubing in the nanomate. In fraction collection mode, the balance of the HPLC flow not analyzed is directed to either 96- or 384-well plates. This allows real-time LC-MS or LC-MS/MS, and subsequent later analysis for low abundance species or more intensive analyses.
Applied Biosystems QSTAR-XL (nESI)
Installed 2003
The QSTAR is a hybrid quadrupole / time-of-flight (Q-TOF) tandem mass spectrometer. This instrument generates ions via ESI and is interfaced with the TriVersa nanomate system for generation of intact molecular ions directly from solution with very high sensitivity (~fmol). A Dionex LC system is also coupled to the Triversa nanomate. This system consists of a Famos autosampler, Switchos II dual 10-port switching valves, and an Ultimate quaternary pump. This LC system is extremely versatile and can be used with micro-, capillary-, or nano-bore chromatography columns enabling the separation and analysis of complex mixtures with very high sensitivity. Both MS and MS/MS data are acquired with high resolution (> 10,000 FWHM) and accurate mass measurement (< 10 ppm) for unequivocal molecular identification and structure elucidation. MS/MS on this instrument is performed via low energy CID analogous to that of a triple quadrupole.
Applied Biosystems QSTAR-XL (oMALDI II)
Installed 2007
The QSTAR is a hybrid quadrupole / time-of-flight (Q-TOF) tandem mass spectrometer. This instrument generates ions via MALDI for formation of intact molecular ions directly from the solid phase with very high sensitivity (~fmol). The oMALDI II source has both a nitrogen (20 Hz) and a high repetition rate (1000 Hz) Nd:YAG laser. The oMALDI II source is a higher pressure (~10-5 torr) MALDI source vs. high vacuum MALDI (10-8 torr). This higher pressure allows collisional cooling of ions desorbed from the MALDI plate preserving fragile molecular species such as post-translationally modified (phosphorylated, glycosylated, etc.) peptides, proteins, or lipids. Both MS and MS/MS data are acquired with high resolution (> 10,000 FWHM) and accurate mass measurement (< 10 ppm) for unequivocal molecular identification and structure elucidation. MS/MS on this instrument is performed via low energy CID analogous to that of a triple quadrupole. This instrument is used primarily to generate images of molecules directly from biological samples.
Applied Biosystems Voyager DE STR
Installed 2006
The Voyager is a MALDI time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer that generates ions via a 20Hz nitrogen laser. This instrument is equipped with both linear and reflecting detectors. The former is used for large molecular mass species (> 10 kDa) with low resolution, and the latter is used for intermediate resolution (< 5,000 FWHM), accurate mass measurement (< 50 ppm) of lower molecular mass species (< 10 kDa). The Voyager is capable of performing tandem mass spectrometry whereby MS/MS is performed via timed precursor ion selection with subsequent post source dissociation (PSD) by either metastable or high-energy collision induced dissociation (CID). This instrument is used primarily to generate images of molecules directly from biological samples.
Waters AutoSpec M
Installed 2009
The AutoSpec M is a forward geometry (EBE, where E = electric sector and B = magnetic sector), three sector tandem mass spectrometer. It is capable of very high resolution (10,000, 30,000, and 80,000 at 10%, 1%, and minimal beam transmission) and accurate mass measurement (< 5 ppm) analyses. Ionization occurs via electron impact (EI) or chemical ionization (CI) for analysis of low molecular mass (< 700 Da), non-polar, volatile molecules. It is equipped with a HP 6890 gas chromatograph (GC) for separation of complex, volatile samples. Additionally, the GC has a 100 well autosampler for unattended sample analyses. MS/MS may also be performed on this instrument via CID or metastable ion decomposition in the 1st field free region (FFR) with subsequent double focused mass analysis by scans at a constant ratio of B/E.
Micromass Quattro LC
Installed 1999
The Quattro LC is a low resolution, nominal mass accuracy triple quadrupole (QQQ) tandem mass spectrometer. It is capable of ionization via ESI and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). This instrument is capable of analyzing a wide variety of polar biological molecules via single stage MS. It also is able to perform MS/MS utilizing product, precursor, or neutral loss scans for structure elucidation or in conjunction with LC and MRM analysis for quantitation. To this end it is interfaced with an Agilent 1100 binary HPLC system for online separation of complex mixtures with subsequent MS or MS/MS analysis at flow rates ranging from ul/min to mL/min.
Micromass TofSpec2E
Installed 1999
The TOF Spec 2E is a low-resolution, nominal mass accuracy, linear only, MALDI TOF mass spectrometer. It is equipped with a nitrogen laser, which fires at ~20 Hz. It is used primarily for high mass analysis of proteins, DNA, and complex carbohydrates from 1 kDa up to several hundred kDa.
Contact Information
M. Cameron Sullards, Ph.D.
Principal Research Scientist
Director, Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
and School of Biology
Georgia Institute of Technology
315 Ferst Dr., 0501 IBB
Atlanta, GA 30332-0363
Office: 404-385-4249
FAX: 404-894-4061
email: cameron.sullards@chemistry.gatech.edu
Yanfeng “Frank” Chen, Ph. D.
Research Scientist II
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Georgia Institute of Technology
315 Ferst Drive
Atlanta, GA 30332-0363
Office: 404-385-4250
FAX: 404-894-4061
yc40@mail.gatech.edu
David Bostwick
Senior Research Technician IV
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Georgia Institute of Technology
315 Ferst Dr., 0501 IBB
Atlanta, GA 30332-0363
Office: 404-385-4250
FAX: 404-894-4061
email: david.bostwick@chemistry.gatech.edu
Facility e-mail: mslab@chemistry.gatech.edu
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