Ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer with ion mobility separation (UHPLC/IMS-QTOF-MS)

在2013年盖森海姆大学成立后不久，德国科学与人文理事会建议建立和加强以研究为导向的教授职位，同时建立独立进行博士学位的权利。因此，盖森海姆大学现在因此支持新任命的研究教授哈比尔教授博士的申请。Ralf Schweiggert，用于资助与离子迁移率分离（IMS）设备和飞行时间质谱仪（TOF-MS）耦合的超高效液相色谱（UHPLC）系统。目前，盖森海姆大学还没有UHPLC/IMS-TOF-MS系统以及高分辨率质谱仪。所要求的系统将允许对植物原料、食品、饮料和加工副产品中与技术、生理和法规相关的植物化学物质、残留物和污染物进行全面和最先进的表征。除了能够进行高分辨率质量测定以确定分子和碎片离子的总分子式之外，所要求的系统还允许基于离子迁移率分离否则不可分辨的同量异位素和通常共洗脱的化合物。我们希望能够更深入地了解植物材料的组成，特别是食物，以及它们在收获后处理，加工和储存过程中的变化。因此，该系统不仅有助于未来新型和传统食品的开发、优化和分析，而且还允许针对法律相关的研究问题，例如食品来源的查询或阐明食品生产过程中应用了哪种技术的查询。因为在盖森海姆大学，运行所要求系统的分析能力仅在申请人的简历中可用。盖森海姆大学不需要分析核心设施。高分辨率MS工作的外部化已经过测试，并被证明不适合申请人的研究目标。所要求的系统将不仅允许申请人的计算机逐步达到最先进的水平，而且还将理想地适合计算机的研究目标的分析需要，是对计算机和盖森海姆大学建立的现有方法的完美补充。最终，这些设备将为沿着整个食物链提供许多新的和创新的研究机会。

Briefly after the foundation of Geisenheim University in 2013, the German Council of Science and Humanities has recommended the formation and strengthening of research-oriented professorships as well as the meanwhile established right for independently conducting doctorates. Thus, Geisenheim University now consequently supports the application of the newly appointed research professor, Prof. Dr. habil. Ralf Schweiggert, for funding of an Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) system coupled to an ion mobility separation (IMS) device and a time-of-flight mass analyzer (TOF-MS).Currently, UHPLC/IMS-TOF-MS systems as well as high resolution mass spectrometers are unavailable at Geisenheim University. The requested system will allow the comprehensive and state-of-the-art characterization of technologically-, physiologically-, and regulatorily-relevant phytochemicals, residues, and contaminants in plant-based raw materials, foods, beverages, and processing by-products. Besides enabling high resolution mass determinations to determine the sum formula of molecular and fragment ions, the requested system allows the ion mobility-based separation of otherwise unresolvable isobaric and often co-eluting compounds. We expect to gain substantially deeper insights into the composition of plant materials, particularly foods, and their changes during post-harvest treatments, processing and storage. Thereby, the system will not only contribute to the development, optimization and analyses of novel and traditional foods in the future, but will also allow targeting legally relevant research questions such as the query for the origin of a food or that for elucidating which technology has been applied during food production.A decentralized management and utilization concept regarding the requested system is targeted, since the analytical competence to run the requested system is - at Geisenheim University - only available in the applicant’s workgroup. An analytical core facility is inexistent and not desired by Geisenheim University. Externalization of high resolution MS work has been tested and proven to be unsuitable for the research goals of the applicant. The requested system would not only allow the applicant’s workgroup to step up to the state-of-the-art and beyond, but would also ideally fit the analytical needs for the workgroup's research goals, being perfectly complementary to existing methods well established at the workgroup and Geisenheim University. Ultimately, the equipment would allow numerous new and innovative research opportunities along the whole food chain.