UHPLC-MS-TOF instrument

Tampere University Foundation sr (Tampere University) is publishing a direct award of contract for UHPLC-MS-TOF instrument. Instrument is needed for developing proteomics of wastewater.

BACKGROUND INFO Environmental research group (https://research.tuni.fi/environmental-health/) at Tampere University has experience in the surveillance of pathogens in wastewater. Now the aim is to expand the research infrastructure to cover the data analyses of other biomarkers and chemical markers in wastewater. https://www.aka.fi/en/about-us/whats-new/press-releases/2024/research-infrastructures-receive-major-funding-from-research-council-of-finland/. Long-term plans aim to establish an Environmental Health Research Center. NEED Regarding the continuation of proteomics laboratory of Tampere University (Kauppi-Campus, Arvo Building, E341) 5600+ and nanoLC [tandem Quadrupole Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer TripleTOF 5600+ coupled with an Eksigent 425 Nano LC system with a nano flex cHiPLC system]: support by AB Sciex, Concord, Canada for both instruments will end within two years (meaning also uncertainty regarding the availability of spare parts; final decision expected in April). Plan is to replace the nanoLC with an LC with a normal flow and run drug residues and organic harmful substances on the 5600+ (as long as it works) and develop proteomics of wastewater with the new 7600 ZenoTOF (when the 5600+ will come to an end, all analyzes will be performed, and the core-services will be recreated with the 7600 ZenoTOF). MARKET ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS FOR DIRECT AWARD Market research has been conducted by searching information about commercially available mass spectrometry instruments capable for metabolomics and proteomics. The requirements from the previous section ‘Need’ can be summarized as follows: The research infrastructure intends to purchase a mass spectrometry instrument also for metabolomics and proteomics. The primary use will be for ESI applications utilizing the Zeno trap to boost MS2 sensitivity as well as providing the unique EAD fragmentation technique to derive information on the protein post-translational modifications and double bond positions in lipids structures of the analytes. The 7600 ZenoTOF provided by Sciex, is the only instrument in the market that meets all the specific and necessary technical requirements to fulfil the uncompromising needs of the acquiring department as follows: • The instrument must have tunable EAD fragmentation to separate compounds with isobaric features and lipid double bond positions via fragmentation, and to facilitate the localization of protein post-translational modifications on proteins (e.g. phosphorylation, glycosylation) • The instrument needs to be capable of fast screening with MS/MS scan rates exceeding 120Hz in large scale proteomics experiments • The instrument must have better identification of certain metabolites via the EI spectra generated by EAD • The instrument needs to have lossless MS2 acquisition modes through a trap function. • The instrument needs to have an ion source that can tolerate both nano and UHPLC flow rates without changing the ion source. • The instrument needs to have competitive sensitivity for single-cell proteomics and lipidomics analyses (>3000 protein identifications from ≤500pg of protein on ≤30-minute chromatographic gradients). The 7600 ZenoTOF provided by A/B Sciex Oy, is the only instrument in the market that meets all the specific and necessary technical requirements to fulfil the uncompromising needs of the acquiring group. The new device is from the same manufacturer as the old one, so the proteomics software and other processing software purchased with the previous device are compatible with the new device. If we will purchase another manufacturer's hardware, the software costs alone will raise the prices to more than €40,000. In connection with the use of the purchased device, we can use Sciex's software, libraries, etc., which are compatible with the existing device [tandem Quadrupole Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer TripleTOF 5600+ (AB Sciex, Concord, Canada) coupled with an Eksigent 425 Nano LC system with a nano flex cHiPLC system]. Equipment from the same equipment manufacturer also gives an advantage in maintenance contracts and trainings, etc. Additionally, the equipment in question requires a certain rare kind of know-how, and the expertise that can be used is qualified to use Sciex's equipment.