IonSense
WHAT'S NEW WITH DART MS?                                         February 2014  
 The Latest Developments in Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry 
 


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We are excited to let you know about our new DART-QS Source that we just introduced.  It is fully enclosed to insure sample integrity and can automatically analyze 12 samples using the QuickStrip™ Sample Cards.  Take a look below for more information.

Also we will be at the AAFS meeting next week in Seattle so please stop by if you are attending.

As usual, your colleagues have published a number of new and interesting papers.

Please have a read and feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.  Thanks.


Regards,

Brian Musselman, Ph.D.
President and CEO

Introducing Direct Sample Analysis with the New DART®-QS Source
The new DART-QS Source provides a protective environment for Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) mass spectrometry of a range of materials from drugs of abuse to adulterated products, and also supports the analysis of total unknowns. Both qualitative and quantitative results can be obtained in as little as 10 seconds per sample, providing rapid feedback, and alleviating backlogs.
  • Automated direct sample analysis of up to 12 samples with disposable QuickStrip™ Sample Cards
  • Enclosed source minimizes environmental exposure
  • DART Ionization for low noise and fewer background ions
  • DART with either nitrogen or helium expanding the range of detectable compounds
  • Rapid analysis for Forensics and Food Safety


Using the QuickStrip Sample Cards is simple and insures that no cross -contamination occurs. The twelve sample positions can be loaded automatically or manually, including standards for quantitation. QuickStrips are available in packages of 50 permitting 600 measurements per box.

The DART-QS source is only available for Thermo instruments at this time.


If you or an associate would like us to analyze a few samples with the DART-QS on our Thermo EXACTIVE+, please contact Jeff Zonderman directly for information or a discussion.


Recent Publications on DART MS



 Mark S. Anderson
 

Analytical Chemistry and Materials Research Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California

 

Spacecraft contamination was analyzed using mass spectrometry with the direct analysis in real-time ionization source. This source uses metastable helium for soft ionization and to mediate atmospheric desorption of samples into a mass spectrometer. The sampling methodology allows polymers to be assessed for the presence of vacuum labile components. Vacuum labile residues are significant sources of contamination on spacecraft optics, science instruments, and thermal control surfaces. The methodology also provides sensitive analysis of molecular contamination on spacecraft surfaces using existing spacecraft sampling procedures. This provides identification information for a wide range of molecular components including biomarker compounds.




Xiaowei Wang, Jingfu Liu, Charles C. Liu, Jing Zhang, Bing Shao, Liping Liua, Nina Zhanga
Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, ASPEC Technologies Limited, Beijing, China

Trimethyl phosphate (TMP) is used extensively in industrial chemical processes. Due to the high polarity and volatility, methods for its quantification in environmental samples have not been well developed. Currently, the pollution status of TMP in the environment still have not been quantitative analyzed. This study quantifies the TMP levels in environmental water via direct analysis real-time ionization source interfaced with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (DART-MS/MS) with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The DART parameters were optimized to achieve the most TMP-sensitive MRM responses. The water samples were analyzed directly, and an isotope-labeled internal standard (ISTD) method was applied for quantification. The method exhibits significant linearity (R > 0.998) in the range of 0.05-100 ng/mL, with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 50 pg/mL. TMP has been accurately detected in the influent and effluent water of two municipal wastewater treatment plants and a river located in Beijing. Recovery of TMP ranged 88.0-107.6% for the spiked real water samples. The results demonstrated that TMP has been existed in environmental water, and DART-MS/MS can be used for the monitoring of the pollution status and the environmental process of TMP in environmental water


Edgard O. Espinoza, Cady A. Lancaster, Natasha M. Kreitals, Masataka Hata, Robert B. Cody, Robert A. Blanchette
U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, Ashland, OR, USA, Centre for Forensic Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Shoyeido Incense Company, Kyoto, Japan, JEOL USA, Inc., Peabody, MA, USA, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA

RATIONALE  It is important for the enforcement of the CITES treaty to determine whether agarwood (a resinous wood produced in Aquilaria and Gyrinops species) seen in trade is from a plantation that was cultivated for sustainable production or was harvested from natural forests which is usually done illegally.
METHODs We analyzed wood directly using Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART™) ionization coupled with Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (TOFMS). Agarwood was obtained from five countries, and the collection contained over 150 samples. The spectra contained ions from agarwood-specific 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones as well as many other ions. The data was analyzed using either kernel discriminant analysis or kernel principal component analysis. Probability estimates of origin (wild vs cultivated) were assigned to unknown agarwood samples.
RESULTS  Analysis of the DART-TOFMS data shows that many of the chromones found in cultivated and wild agarwood samples are similar; however, there is a significant difference in particular chromones that can be used for differentiation. In certain instances, the analysis of these chromones also allows inferences to be made as to the country of origin. Mass Mountaineer™ software provides an estimate of the accuracy of the discriminate model, and an unknown sample can be classified as cultivated or wild. Eleven of the thirteen validation samples (85%) were correctly assigned to either cultivated or wild harvested for their respective geographic provenance. The accuracy of each classification can be estimated by probabilities based on Z scores.
CONCLUSIONS  The direct analysis of wood for the diagnostic chromones using DART-TOFMS followed by discriminant analysis is sufficiently robust to differentiate wild from cultivated agarwood and provides strong inference for the origin of the agarwood.




About IonSense
IonSense, Inc. provides OpenSpot Mass Spectrometry™ solutions to the fields of food safety, forensics, drug development, and chemical analysis. We manufacture and develop direct analysis in real time (DART®) technology licensed from JEOL USA, Inc. and atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP™) licensed from M&M Consulting.

DART and ASAP Sources are available for most commercial LC/MS systems.  Look here to see if your system is DART-ready.  And  check here to see if your system is ASAP-ready.

Phone - 781.484.1043  | info@ionsense.com | http://www.ionsense.com
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