Instruments Available at the Analytical Laboratory

The Kansas Lipidomics Research Center's Analytical Laboratory has five mass spectrometer systems which we use to acquire sample data.

Applied Biosystems 4000 QTRAP ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾

Triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with a linear ion trap and an
electrospray source.

Waters Xevo TQS⁽¹⁾

Triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with an electrospray source, acquired in 2013. This mass spectrometer has similar functionality to the other "triple quads", but greater sensitivity. We currently use it for specialized workflows and a direct infusion plant-lipid MRM method (Vu et al., Plant J. 80, 728).

Sciex 6500+⁽¹⁾

Triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with an electrospray source, acquired in 2017. Like the Xevo TQS, this mass spectrometer has high sensitivity. This instrument has two special features: an excellent linear ion trap and ion mobility spectrometry. The latter can be used to select analytes, based on their dipole moments, in the source. We are using this instrument primarily for large plant lipid sample sets.

Agilent Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (x 2)

GC/MS with electron impact and chemical ionization sources (Agilent Technologies 6890N Network GC System/Agilent Technologies 5975 inert XL mass selective detector) ⁽³⁾

This instrument is used for analysis of lipids that can be made volatile. This may involve lipid hydrolysis and typically involves lipid derivatization. Analyses that can be performed by GC/MS include fatty acids, sterols, plant cuticle lipids, and phytohormones.

 

(1) Note: The triple quadrupole mass spectrometers are each interfaced with an auto-sampler, but samples can be manually injected.

(2) Note: Our lab instrumentation also includes an Advion TriVersa NanoMate interface, a chip-based nanoelectrospray source that makes analysis of small samples entirely possible. This instrument fits our Applied Biosystems 4000 Q-TRAP.

(3) Note: GC with FID is also available.