Applications of Mass Spectrometry

Detect impurities and contaminants Verify the concentrations of product components and active ingredients Ensure the integrity, stability and conformation of biological molecules is maintained in the desired form and for the shelf-life of the product MS is a powerful and essential tool in the field of omics, specifically proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and glycomics. In the clinic, MS is becoming a vital tool, able to detect and quantitate trace levels of known and unknown targets in complex samples. Advancements in areas such as ionization have helped to create growing applications of MS in the clinic, including: Cross-linking MS (XL-MS) is an important a tool in structural biology, revealing information on protein interaction networks within biological samples, from proteins to macromolecular complexes, cells and even tissues. Among others, it provides insights for: Omics Clinical diagnostics Structural biology Amino acid Polypeptide chains α-Helixes Complex of protein molecule PRIMARY STRUCTURE TERTIARY STRUCTURE SECONDARY STRUCTURE QUATERNARY STRUCTURE PRIMARY STRUCTURE MS is a key tool for the detection of many environmental contaminants, both well known and emerging. Adjustments in sample preparation mean that it is able to cope with a wide variety of environmental sample types including water, soil and air. MS combined with liquid chromatography (LC) or gas chromatography (GC) is one of the most common techniques used for pesticide residue testing. While they may protect our foodstuffs from damage, pesticides can be harmful to the environment and ecosystems, and it is therefore important to monitor levels. This enables the amounts used to be minimized and issues such as contamination at harmful levels or in undesirable locations to be detected. PFAS has emerged as a contaminant of concern, entering the environment from sources such as stainand water-resistant coatings, firefighting foam and cleaning products. MS-based detection offers a low limit of detection and excellent sensitivity in monitoring the issue. Protocol variations enable the detection of both volatile and non-volatile targets. Environmental analysis Their sensitivity makes MS-based techniques an excellent fit for many forensics studies. MS is used to analyze foods and beverages for many reasons including to: Forensics Food and beverage analysis MS plays a key role in detecting drugs of abuse in the general public, criminal victims and in sports. MS techniques, including those employing ambient ionization methods, have proved useful in the detection of toxic industrial compounds, chemical warfare agents and explosives. High spatial resolution MSI has become a rising star in chemical hair-strand analysis, helping to determine exposure to and uptake of toxins and drugs, information that can also help in personal identification. The analysis of materials and techniques used in artworks is vital in conservation efforts, for which MS-based techniques have been of great utility. Whether chemicals are being extracted and purified or synthesized from other component chemicals, it is important that scientists and engineers can be sure of what they have, how pure it is and how much they have of it. For example, in the petrochemicals industry, MS paired with GC (GC-MS) is used at multiple stages of the prospecting, refining, formulation and QC process to identify contaminants, determine the ratios of the constituent chemicals and make process improvements among other things. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is routinely used to detect contaminating trace elements such as arsenic, nickel and iron. Chemical analysis Applications of MASS SPECTOMETRY MS is a key tool in multiple stages of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical lifecycles, from discovery right through to the final product. Mass spectrometry (MS) is an important analytical technique that enables users to determine the chemical makeup of a sample, even in complex matrices. Developments in ionization techniques, mass analyzers and detection systems, along with the ability to hyphenate to other tools, have meant that MS has been able to keep pace with evolving analytes, needs and demands. This has earned it a place in labs across many sectors, offering high sensitivity and specificity. THIS INFOGRAPHIC WILL EXPLORE THE DIVERSE APPLICATIONS TO WHICH MASS SPECTROMETRY IS BEING APPLIED ACROSS SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES. Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical analysis ASSESSING IMMUNE RESPONSES UNDERSTANDING DRUG BEHAVIOR CLINICAL TRIALS AND TREATMENTS TARGET DISCOVERY FOR NOVEL VACCINES MS can be used to determine the identity of antigenic proteins or peptides, helping to identify targets for novel therapeutics. When developing new drugs, understanding the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of those compounds is important. MS can prove helpful here, with MS imaging (MSI) techniques revealing the drug’s distribution around the body. While MS has traditionally played a limited role in vaccine discovery and development, the expansion of vaccines using recombinant antigens or virus-like particles has offered an opportunity for MS to provide helpful structural insights. During clinical trials or treatments, MS can be used to monitor the levels of compounds in body fluids such as plasma, helping to refine dosing strategies or routes of administration. QUALITY CONTROL Quality control (QC) is a key step in the production of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, for which MS is essential. It is used to: Investigating fundamental biology Identifying potential drug candidates Understanding and predicting disease Process refinement in producing desirable products Diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious disease Nutritional research Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS can identify bacterial species rapidly and has been used to detect antimicrobial resistance, informing treatment plans MS-based proteomics is a powerful tool in disease biomarker detection, spanning conditions from type 1 diabetes to chronic kidney disease By studying protein expression profiles by MS alongside genomic profiles, clinicians are able to tailor treatment plans to best suite the responses of individuals MS imaging (MSI) offers great insights on the localization of biomolecules. For example, in neuroscience, it has been used to image neurotransmitters in brain slices MICROBIOLOGICAL TESTING BIOMARKER DETECTION PERSONALIZED ONCOLOGY BIOMOLECULE LOCALIZATION Detect contaminants Foodstuffs must be tested for veterinary drug residues to keep consumers safe, for which liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is the technique favored thanks to its high sensitivity. Other food-based targets tested for with MS include heavy metals, mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH), bisphenol A (BPA) and other food contact contaminants. MS is a fundamental tool in the formulation of novel food products, helping to evaluate nutritional quality, improve consumer experience and detect potential undesirable byproducts. This has been particularly useful in the development of alternative protein sources for the future foods market. When determining the authenticity of foods, the ability of MS to differentiate very similar chemical profiles, such as low-quality wine sold as a wine from a premium vineyard, or detect the presence of an adulterant, such as melamine in milk, makes it a key tool in fraud detection. Miniaturization and advances in MS technology to enable ambient ionization are facilitating an ongoing trend towards portable, on-site quality and safety testing. Inform new formulations Assess quality Check authenticity Determine nutritional value and nutrient profile Environmental contaminants, such as pesticides and PFAS, can find their way into the food chain, posing different analytical challenges relating to sample media. For example, extraction and detection in soil requires different processing steps compared to food stuffs such as tomato-based pasta sauces or oils that have high acidity and fat content respectively. Workflows must therefore be tailored to specific sample types. AS TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO ADVANCE AND INSTRUMENTS BECOME MORE USER-FRIENDLY AND PORTABLE, IT IS LIKELY WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE MS EMERGING AS A KEY TOOL IN MORE AND MORE AREAS. SPONSORED BY