Team solve 40-year-old MS issue
23 Apr 2012
Scientists at the Warwick University have developed a computation which simultaneously doubles the resolution, sensitivity and mass accuracy of Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (FTMS).
The work has solved the 40-year-old phasing problem which allows plotting of spectra in absorption mode. Up until now, finding constants in the phase of an FTMS spectrum is difficult.
Prof Peter O’Connor, who co-developed the method, told Laboratorytalk: “The phase wrapping problem is pretty severe on the phase-range we’re dealing with. That said, I’m surprised nobody stumbled on this solution ages ago.”
Using a quadratic function between phase and frequency, the team were able to overcome the problem by using what they term as a “least-squares+iteration” method to find the phase function.
The breakthrough can be used in all FTMS including FT-ICR, Orbitrap and FT-TOF instruments and will have applications in proteomics, petroleum analysis, metabolomics and pharmaceutical analysis among other fields.
“It means that we can get much better spectra at no additional cost,” said O’Connor. “This will be hugely important in the petroleum industry, where resolution is paramount, but will have similar impact in our research areas of protein analysis too.”
The method is detailed in the study Absorption-Mode: The Next Generation of Fourier Transform Mass Spectra published in the journal Analytical Chemistry and is available here.
