Introduction to mass spectrometry: theory and applications (IN-PERSON) New
Mass spectrometry is an invaluable tool that provides information about a molecule's fundamental feature – its molecular mass. The field of mass spectrometry is vast and available techniques are constantly evolving. Nowadays, mass spectrometry not only provides record-breaking resolving power but also achieves detection limits of only hundreds of molecules or zeptomoles. Its applications include the study of inorganic materials, organic compounds, ancient fossils, artworks and even mummies. It also plays a fundamental role in "omics" applications providing qualitative and quantitative data on proteome, lipidome and metabolome.
The aim of this course is to provide a comprehensive overview of mass spectrometry techniques, working principles and applications in STEM. Throughout the course, we will consider different ionization techniques and mass analyzers, hyphenation to chromatography or reaction coils, as well as upstream methodologies suitable for mass spectrometry in general. You will gain an understanding of what kind of data different mass spectrometry techniques provide and how to extract information from this data. This knowledge will enable you to plan and design mass spectrometry experiments for different applications.
If you do not have a University of Cambridge Raven account please book or register your interest here.
If for any reason the above links do not work, please email Research Informatics Training Team with details of your course enquiry.
- ♿ The training room is located on the first floor and there is currently no wheelchair or level access.
- Our courses are only free for registered University of Cambridge students. All other participants will be charged according to our charging policy.
- Attendance will be taken on all courses and a charge is applied for non-attendance. After you have booked a place, if you are unable to attend any of the live sessions, please email the Research Informatics Training Team.
- Further details regarding eligibility criteria are available here.
- Guidance on visiting Cambridge and finding accommodation is available here.
- This course is aimed at researchers dealing with or planning to perform chemical analysis.
- Everyone is welcome to attend the courses, please review the relevant policies.
- No prior experience in mass spectrometry is required.
- Experience with Python is desirable.
Number of sessions: 1
| # | Date | Time | Venue | Trainers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wed 26 Mar 09:30 - 17:30 | 09:30 - 17:30 | Bioinformatics Training Room, Craik-Marshall Building | map | Alexander Zherebker, Siriel Saladin |
Mass spectrometry, Ionization techniques, Chemical analysis, Applications, Carbon dating
During this course you will learn about:
- Types of mass analyzers, vendors, working principles and the composition of mass spectra.
- Hard and mild ionization methods, types of produced ions and ion charge.
- Resolving power, scan rate, mass accuracy, sensitivity, experiment types, and the advantages and disadvantages of different techniques.
- The different levels of mass spectrometry experiments, including tandem mass spectrometry.
- Assessing mass spectra, data treatment strategies, target and untargeted analysis, as well as qualitative and quantitative mass spectrometry.
- The application of mass spectrometry across different scientific fields, including biology, medicine, ecology and space.
After this course you should be able to:
- Recognise which samples are suitable for mass spectrometry experiments.
- Interpret various types of mass spectra.
- Select suitable mass spectrometry techniques for your specific research questions.
- Plan mass spectrometry experiments with an understanding of upstream procedures, and the limitations of analysis and downstream strategies.
- Treat, visualise and report various types of mass spectrometry data.
Presentations, demonstrations, practicals
Participants can make use of the computers in the training room.
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:30 | Introduction to mass spectrometry
> What is mass, and how and where it can be measured. Reading mass-spectra: m/z value, ion charge, peaks, intensity. |
| 10:30 | Mass analysers and ion detection
> Overview of mass analyzers and their analytical features. Resolving power. External and internal mass calibration. |
| 11:00 | Break |
| 11:15 | Hard and soft ionization techniques
> How to produce ions, ionization efficiency, charge competition. Which ionization method to choose? Separation techniques. |
| 12:30 | Lunch (not provided) |
| 13:30 | Practical: Analysis of organic compounds
> Determine the mass and elemental composition of unknown organic compounds. Nitrogen rule. What is the error of mass measurement? Internal calibration. |
| 14:30 | Types of mass spectrometry experiments.
> Level of identification. Tandem mass spectrometry. Fragmentation pathway. Target and untargeted experiments. Qualitative and quantitative analysis. |
| 15:00 | Practical: Structural annotation and quantification of unknowns. Data preparation for SIRIUS. Calibration curve. |
| 15:30 | Break |
| 15:45 | Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry
> Isotope signature, carbon dating. Ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry. Fine isotopic structure. Kendrick mass defect. Reporting and visualization of mass spectrometry data. |
| 16:30 | Practical: Analysis of multicomponent mixtures
> Assigning elemental composition for multicomponent mixtures. Molecular fingerprints. Spectra similarity. |
| 17:30 | End |
- Free for registered University of Cambridge students
- £ 60/day for all University of Cambridge staff, including postdocs, temporary visitors (students and researchers) and participants from Affiliated Institutions. Please note that these charges are recovered by us at the Institutional level
- It remains the participant's responsibility to acquire prior approval from the relevant group leader, line manager or budget holder to attend the course. It is requested that people booking only do so with the agreement of the relevant party as costs will be charged back to your Lab Head or Group Supervisor.
- £ 60/day for all other academic participants from external Institutions and charitable organizations. These charges must be paid at registration
- £ 120/day for all Industry participants. These charges must be paid at registration
- Further details regarding the charging policy are available here
1
Booking / availability