New laser and mass spectrometry methods for detecting protonation isomers

质谱是检测分子的主要工具，用于了解疾病，污染控制和化学合成。然而，分子结构的复杂差异-对化学功能至关重要-可能会混淆检测方法，导致假阴性。这对于复杂的生物样品尤其成问题。激光质谱法的最新突破，结合离子迁移率，现在可以检测到微妙而重要的结构特征。该项目旨在通过开发具有这些增强功能的新仪器和协议来利用这些进步，从而加速自动化质谱，改进抗生素检测和复杂生物分子筛选的进步。

Mass spectrometry is a major tool for the detection of molecules for understanding disease, pollution control and chemical synthesis. However, intricate differences in molecular structure - vital to chemical function - can confuse detection methods leading to false negatives. This is especially problematic for complex biological samples. Recent breakthroughs in laser-based mass spectrometry methods, combined with ion mobility, now allow detection of subtle yet important structural features. This project aims to exploit these advances by developing new instrumentation and protocols with these enhanced capabilities thus accelerating advances in automated mass spectrometry, improved antibiotic detection and complex biomolecule screening.