Agilent Technologies pushes M/S capabilities to boost labs
The firm has launched two applications that enhance its MassHunter Workstation software and liquid chromatography/ mass spectrometry (LC/MS) gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instruments.
The MassHunter All Ions MS/MS and MassHunter BioConfirm programs are designed to increase laboratory productivity and streamline method-development processes.
Software enhancements
The MassHunter All Ions MS/MS software enables researchers to create acquisition methods using Agilent time-of-flight and quadrupole time-of-flight instruments.
It will automatically confirm the identities of compounds with high-resolution, accurate-mass libraries and create quantitative screening methods in minutes rather than days.
MassHunter BioConfirm software provides mirror plots for the comparison of biosimilars and peak modeling deconvolution to determine the molecular weight of intact proteins.
The peak-modeling algorithm removes artifacts from a mass spectrum and helps resolve overlapped peaks.
The simplified spectra then allow researchers to visualize the precision of the mass measurement and ensure the accuracy of results, enabling rapid confirmation of intact protein sequences and modifications.
"We are continuously looking for ways to help laboratories enhance their research outcomes and speed up the discovery process," said Steve Madden, Agilent's product manager for LC/MS software.
"These two additions to our larger suite of MassHunter software will go a long way to help researchers maximize the quality of their data and further optimize the power of our LC/MS instrumentation."
Ion mobility technology research
The firm also demonstrated its generation of ion mobility technology to enhance high-resolution mass spectrometry capabilities at the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) conference this week.
The technology, combined with a modified high-resolution iFunnel Quadrupole-Time-of-Fight LC/MS system, was developed in collaboration with scientists from academic institutions and government laboratories.
Prototype systems have demonstrated the ability to provide greater analytical detail for complex samples compared to high-resolution mass spectrometry alone, said the firm.
"We have discovered that there is significant analytical utility in combining ion mobility separation technology with our high-resolution mass spectrometry systems, and we are very excited to introduce this new system to the global mass spectrometry community," said Lester Taylor, Ph.D., Agilent's director of LC/MS product marketing.
“Researchers working in a variety of industries-life science, drug development and manufacturing, food safety, forensics, environmental screening, and others-will also learn how they can maximize their analytical results."
