Mass spectrometers

3 pcs of Orbitrap Astral mass spectrometers.

The instruments must meet all the specific and necessary technical requirements to fulfil the uncompromising needs of the acquiring departments as follows: • Three instruments are required to fulfil the increased demands at the University. It is imperative that these instruments are based on the same technology, such that methods can be transferred between mass spectrometers to ensure continuity. • Instruments need to be compatible with both Nanospray Flex Ion Source and EasySpray Ion source to enable full flexibility in column choice, FAIMS Pro Duo interface and control software. • Our research plans will utilise multiple workflows that require the use of TMTpro 18-plex reagents for maximum throughput, which must be achieved on all platforms in a single-experiment, and therefore the new instruments needs to have mass analysers capable to achieve high mass resolution (>60000 at 200 m/z), quantitative performance, and dynamic range (>5000:1 within one spectrum in at least one of the analysers), and the ability to resolve the 6mDa mass difference between TMT18pro reporter ions in both Astral and Orbitrap Analysers to increase throughput in a single-multiplexed experiment. At least one of the analysers must be capable of delivering sufficient resolution (90000 at 200 m/z) to enable the new TMTpro 35-plex reagents to be employed in a single experiment (by single-experiment is defined as a single-pool of the 18 or 35-plexed samples respectively for TMTpro18 or TMTpro35). • Instruments must be able to operate in parallel and able to deliver true 200Hz MS/MS spectral acquisition rate without the need to sum microscans to generate a spectrum. Must have high-resolution, accurate mass analyser, capable of delivering resolution up to 480000 at m/z 200. • Instruments need to provide a sensitivity increase over the current technology platforms, as defined by protein group identifications achievable on a single-cell level input (250pg) of HeLa digest, maximised by utilising the FAIMS Pro Duo interface for improved signal: noise, with proven results demonstrating the ability to achieve 6500 protein groups from a single-cell. • Instruments must be capable of performing narrow window (2Th) DIA to increase selectivity and sensitivity for applications such as plasma proteomics. The technology must be proven by publication in this area for large-cohort studies. • Instruments must be capable of providing a wide-range of versatile workflows, including demonstrable functionality in the areas of glycoproteomics, cross-linking mass spectrometry and cell and tissue proteomics, with a wide-range of sample input being possible (single-cell to micrograms on column). • Instruments must be able to deliver high-throughput DIA (up to 300SPD) whilst maintaining quantitative performance to give fast, in-depth coverage of a whole-cell proteome digest). Only Orbitrap Instruments fulfil the above-mentioned requirements.