This study compares the newly developed Thermo Scientific™ SMART Digest™ kit to classic in-solution protein digestion methods, focusing on protein sequence coverage and identified post-translational modifications (PTMs), including deamidation, oxidation, and glycosylation. A Thermo Scientific™ Acclaim™ VANQUISH™ C18 column with conventional water/acetonitrile-based gradients and the Thermo Scientific™ Vanquish™ Flex UHPLC system were used for separation in combination with the Thermo Scientific™ Q Exactive™ HF Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap™ mass spectrometer.

Forensic laboratories perform bulk substance identification to support investigations in cases involving possession, trafficking, and manufacturing of illicit drugs. A variety of analytical techniques can be used, but mass spectrometry provides methodologies that produce rapid and confident results. We evaluated two analytical workflows using a DART (Direct Analysis in Real Time) ion source coupled to a LTQ XL ion trap mass spectrometer and a Q Exactive Focus hybrid quadrupole- Orbitrap MS. Pharmaceutical pills were analyzed to demonstrate method performance. For forensic use only.

The combination of Orbitrap technology with a linear ion trap has become an established platform for high resolution, accurate mass LC-MSn analysis. The high resolving power, mass accuracy and dynamic range of the Orbitrap analyzer allow rigorous characterization of complex mixtures even in the absence of precursor ion mass selection. We now describe the development of a non-hybrid mass spectrometer comprising of an atmospheric-pressure ion source (API) and a standalone Orbitrap mass analyzer.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) detected in surface and drinking waters, as well as in treated wastewater. They are an issue of increasing international attention due to potential environmental impacts. We developed an analytical method capable of determining PPCPs and their by-products in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) samples. This workflow was applied in a survey of 35 permeate samples obtained from a pilot anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR).

The world’s population growth has led to increase in consumption of vegetable oils by 4.5% in 2011. By 2020, the annual production is expected to expand by 23%. Import rates for vegetable oils into the EU are predicted to rise significantly. Cases of economic adulteration of vegetable oils with non-authentic and less expensive oil adjuncts occur frequently. We describe a method to uncover structures of specific TAGs and TAG distribution patterns among various vegetable oils exploiting full MS and CID-based MSn experiments using the Thermo Scientific MALDI LTQ Orbitrap XL.