Achieving Sub-PPM Mass Accuracy for MALDI-FTICR Mass Spectrometry

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With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program, Prof. Jonathan Amster and his group at the University of Georgia will design, construct, and test new analyzer cells for Fourier transform mass spectrometry. These cells will substantially improve the performance of Fourier transform mass spectrometry compared to the current state-of-the-art. The Amster group will also use computer simulations of the motion of large populations of ions to develop a deeper understanding of the cell design features and experimental parameters on instrument performance. The overall goal of these efforts is to achieve parts-per-billion accuracy for mass measurement of ions formed by matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry. This will provide an improvement of several orders of magnitude in mass accuracy relative to that which can currently be achieved in these experiments.Mass is one of the most fundamental properties of matter, and the capability to measure it accurately impacts many areas of science. Laser desorption mass spectrometry is used for chemical imaging measurements, so the proposed developments may lead to more specific identification of molecules and their spatial distribution in samples such as tissues. Graduate and undergraduate students involved in this project will benefit from a multidisciplinary education, and will learn to effectively communicate their results by speaking at conferences and by writing papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Professor Amster regularly teaches a short-course on Fourier transform mass spectrometry, and the results of this project will supplement the course material. The fundamental knowledge gained from this project will also be disseminated in a web-based tutorial on the subject.