Housed within the Department of Chemistry, the Nebraska Center for Mass Spectrometry (NCMS) maintains cutting-edge analytical capabilities in support of researchers within the University of Nebraska as well as external users in academia, government, and industry. The facility hosts a unique suite of high-end mass spectrometry instrumentation, a wide array of data handling resources, and a highly adept staff that enable the facility to engage with the full range of molecular analyses accessible by mass spectrometry. These include ultra-high resolution / ultra-high mass accuracy molecular weight determination for analytes ranging from small molecules to intact proteins; “bottom-up” and “top-down” proteomics; untargeted discovery metabolomics; discrimination of isomers and conformers by ion mobility; and spatial resolution of analytes in tissues, films, and other materials by mass spectrometry imaging.
Major instruments within the NCMS include:
- A Bruker Solarix XR 15 T Q-FTICR-MS: A quadrupole / Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer equipped with a 15 T superconducting magnet, multiple ionization methods (conventional electrospray ionization [ESI]; pump-driven and static-mode nanoflow ESI; matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization [MALDI]), and multiple tandem mass spectrometry methods (beam-type and trapping-type collision-induced dissociation [CID]; electron transfer dissociation [ETD] and negative electron transfer dissociation [nETD]; electron capture dissociation [ECD] and electron detachment dissociation [EDD]; infrared multiphoton dissociation [IRMPD]). The instrument is also fitted with an Advion TriVersa NanoMate for automated, zero-carryover sample introduction. This instrument is particularly well-suited for untargeted metabolomic analysis; intact protein characterization; and imaging of target compound distributions in tissues and other materials.
- A Waters Synapt G2-S HDMS Q-IM-TOF-MS: A quadrupole / ion mobility / time-of-flight mass spectrometer equipped with multiple sample inlets (conventional ESI; pump-driven and static-mode nanoflow ESI), multiple ion mobility separators (commercially available TWIMS; DTIMS courtesy Waters R&D), and multiple tandem mass spectrometry methods (beam-type CID; surface-induced dissociation [SID]; ETD; ECD via modules from e-MSIon). It is also equipped with a Waters Acquity UPLC and autosampler. This instrument is especially useful for rapid gas-phase separation of isomers / conformers by ion mobility and the analysis of peptides with labile post-translational modifications (e.g., phosphorylation, glycosylation, etc.).
- A Waters Xevo G2-XS Q-TOF-MS for Proteomics: A quadrupole / time-of-flight mass spectrometer configured for proteomics workflows based on LC-MS and LC-MS/MS through coupling to a Waters Acquity UPLC system and autosampler via ESI, or MALDI-MS and MALDI MS/MS through coupling to a MassTech AP-MALDI HR atmospheric pressure MALDI source.
- A Waters Xevo G2-XS Q-TOF-MS for Metabolomics: A quadrupole / time-of-flight mass spectrometer configured for metabolomics workflows based on GC-MS and GC-MS/MS through coupling to an Agilent 7890 GC with autosampler via an atmospheric pressure interface / ionization source, or LC-MS and LC-MS/MS through coupling to a Waters Acquity UPLC system with autosampler via ESI.
- AB Sciex Voyager DE Pro TOF-MS with ionization by MALDI: This instrument is well-suited to the analysis of large non-volatile compounds (e.g., intact proteins and synthetic polymers).
- MicroMass GCT TOF-MS with ionization by electron impact (EI) and chemical ionization (CI): This instrument is especially useful for analysis of small volatile compounds (e.g., certain metabolites and environmental contaminants).
- Thermo Finnigan LCQ IT-MS with ionization by ESI: This ion trap instrument is primarily useful for rapid low-resolution molecular weight determination and structural analysis using MSn.
- Thermo Scientific ISQ GC-Q-MS: Quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled to a Thermo Trace GC for low-resolution GC-MS analyses with ionization by EI and CI.
Data handling and data processing resources within the NCMS include:
- Proteomics Data Handling: Byonic (ProteinMetrics), Mascot Server (Matrix Science), ProGenesis QI-P (Nonlinear Dynamics), ProteinLynx Global Server (Waters), and ProteinScape (Bruker).
- Metabolomics Data Handling: MetaboScape (Bruker) and ProGenesis QI (Nonlinear Dynamics). Mass Spectrometry Imaging Data Handling: FlexImaging (Bruker) and Scils Pro (Bruker).
- Other Applications: BioPharmaLynx (Waters), DriftScope (Waters), TargetLynx (Waters), SimIon (Scientific Instrument Services), and SmartFormula XR (Bruker).
