Critical Replacement of a Low-Resolution Mass Spectrometer

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This application is for funds to purchase a low-resolution mass spectrometer. A mass spectrometer is an important research instrument that is used to determine the molecular weight of a molecule. One of the mass spectrometers housed in The University of Waterloo Mass Spectrometry Facility (UWMSF) is a low-resolution instrument called a Thermo LTQ. It was used by graduate students and post-doctoral fellows for rapid routine measurements when high-resolution mass spectrometry data is not required. It was also used by HQP for developing suitable analysis conditions before acquiring high-resolution MS data on the facility's more sophisticated (and fragile and expensive) high-resolution mass spectrometers. This pre-screening of conditions is very important as it increases the life span and decreases the repair and maintenance costs of the more expensive, high-resolution instruments. The Thermo LTQ instrument was obtained used from The Princess Margaret Hospital of Toronto in 2013 and is 16 years old. It could only be used in electrospray ionization (ESI) mode and was not interfaced to a liquid chromatography system which made analyzing compound mixtures very difficult. This instrument has experienced a number of serious mechanical and operational issues over the past two years and is no longer functioning. Repairing this instrument is not possible as this old model was deemed obsolete several years ago by Thermo who no longer service the instrument and replacement parts are difficult or impossible to source. There are no other low resolution mass spectrometers on campus that are available for routine analysis. The demise of this instrument is causing significant delays in the research programs of the applicants and other researchers at UW whose research programs depend upon ready access to low-resolution mass spectrometry. We are requesting funds to purchase a new Thermo LTQ-XL mass spectrometer. Besides being reliable and serviceable, it will also allow for a much wider range of compounds to be analyzed as it would have both ESI and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization capabilities. It will also be interfaced with a liquid chromatography system which will enable mixtures of compounds to be separated and concentrated and so each component of the mixture can be individually analyzed. The requested Thermo LTQ-XL instrument is an essential tool for the applicants to realize their research goals and objectives and to train HQP in one of the most important analytical techniques in academia and industry.