MRI: Development of Advanced Multiplexed Structural Mass Spectrometer for Research and Training

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With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation and support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program, Professor John McLean from Vanderbilt University and colleagues John Wikswo and Jody May will develop a multiplexed ion mobility-mass spectrometer (IM-MS) for rapid and comprehensive chemical analysis of highly complex systems in materials science to biology. The instrument will consist of eight spatially disparate channels of analysis including switchable multiplexed nanoelectrospray ionization (nESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) sources. This multiplexed instrument will integrate the capabilities of eight separate IM-MS instruments into a single spectrometer platform and represents the first module of a 96 channel instrument that is suitable for extremely high throughput analyses of either liquids or solids. In addition to increasing analytical throughput, this IM-MS will improve sensitivity and limits-of-detection through combining the data from each channel.Mass spectrometry (MS) is used to identify the chemical composition of a sample and determine its purity by measuring the mass of the molecular constituents in the sample after they are ionized and detected by the mass spectrometer. This widely used analytical technique is used to identify and quantify the chemical composition of a sample. The unique capabilities of this spatially multiplexed structural mass spectrometer will have significant and broad-reaching implications in areas ranging from nanotechnology to biofuels and systems biology. One of the grand challenges that these nascent fields face is the lack of suitable technologies capable of obtaining dynamic measurements of materials in both space and time. Although the primary focus will be instrumentation development, this project will provide novel interdisciplinary training opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, in state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, ion mobility spectrometry and other allied fields of research. Additionally, students will be trained as future instrument developers.