Equipment

LTQ-FT-Ultra

The LTQ-FT-Ultra is a high-end mass spectrometer with excellent resolution (up to 1 million) and a very good mass-accuracy (< 2ppm). The powerful combination of an Ion-trap with an ICR-measuring cell, this mass spectrometer can be utilized for the structural analysis of small molecules as well as for protein-analytics. We have the opportunity to do ECD-experiments (electron capture dissociation) in the ICR-cell, e.g. for the localization of labile modifications of proteins.

 

Orbitrap Velos Pro

The Orbitrap Velos Pro is a very sensitive hybrid mass analyzer for the whole field of protein analytics. It is capable of MSn-experiments as well as HCD-fragmentations. In our facility it is used for protein identification and analysis of post-translational modifications.

 

Bruker Esquire

The Bruker Esquire is an Ion-Trap mass spectrometer. We use this system mainly for low-end HPLC-MS-applications.

  

Agilent 5973N GC-MS/FID System

The Agilent 5973N GC-MS system is useful for the analysis of small molecules, eventually after a suitable derivatization reaction. The combination of a MS-detector with a FID-detector is rare. With a switch the suitable detector can be chosen for each analysis.

 

TLC-MS-Interface (purchased with money of SFB 987 in Dezember 2013)

The TLC-MS interface enables the direct extraction of TLC spots into the ESI- or APCI -Interfaces of the mass spectrometer. Doing this, spots can be identified by assigning exact masses to the compounds. It has to be considered that many methods used for TLC staining result in the chemical modification of the analytes. In such cases the TLC-plates have to be analyzed without staining (this takes a lot of time because we would have to "scan" the whole lanes) or the substance mixture has to be put on the plate twice next to each other. Then, one of the lanes can be stained carefully and the corresponding "invisible" spots on the neigbouring lane will be extracted for MS analysis.   

 

 

Coming soon (September 2014):

• EI/CI/FD/LIFDI-(GC)-TOF mass analyser
  Suitable for exact mass measurement with GCMS (online)! 
• ESI-Q-TOF with IMS and HDX-Automation:
  IMS enhances the gas-phase separation within the mass spectrometer by a 2nd dimension (beside m/z, wich is the 1st dimension). This is achieved by separating the molecules by their "shape". This is helpful in the analysis of isomeric mixtures, for the distinction of rigid peptides like Lasso-peptides/linear variants, or for complex samples. Minor components can be identified out of complex mixtures or spectra can be simplified, which is especially advantegous for HDX analysis. With HDX, protein dynamics can be analyzed (e.g. important for proteins which are difficult to crystallize), and protein binding pockets  (for inhibitors, substrates and cofactors) as well as protein-protein interaction surfaces can be mapped, giving detailed insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms.