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Mass Spectrometry Facility

interior of the mass spectrometry facility, showing some of the equipment therein

The UA Mass Spectrometry Facility is hosted in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. The facility currently has four mass spectrometers. For molecules with molecular masses below about 2 kDa, characterization can include structural information obtained from fragmentation, as well as determination of molecular mass and chemical formula using high resolution. All ESI and MALDI experiments can be performed with positive or negative ions.

Learn About Instrumentation

Typical Types of Analysis

  • Volatile organic compound characterization and quantitation: GC-MS & MS/MS
  • Organometallic compound characterization: ESI infusion MS & MS/MS, MALDI MS & MS/MS
  • Small molecule polar compound (e.g. pharmaceuticals, metabolites) characterization and quantitation: ESI infusion MS & MS/MS, UPLC-HRMS , MSE, DDA
  • Protein characterization: ESI infusion MS, MALDI MS; peptide mapping: MALDI MS & MS/MS, UPLC-MSE
  • Peptide sequencing: CID MS/MS with ESI or CID/ISD with MALDI in positive and negative ion modes
  • Carbohydrate characterization: ESI infusion MS & MS/MS, MALDI MS & MS/MS, UPLC-HRMS, MSE
  • Oligonucleotide characterization: ESI infusion MS & MS/MS, MALDI MS & MS/MS, UPLC-HRMS, MSE
  • Polymer characterization, including determination of average molecular weights: ESI infusion MS & MS/MS, MALDI MS & MS/MS
  • MALDI imaging: image (location) analysis of a wide range of compounds (e.g. lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, pharmaceuticals, metabolites, polymers, inorganic) from various substrates (e.g. animal or plant tissue slices, polymeric or inorganic material surfaces)