Mass spectrometer

Tender description

The Steroid Metabolome Analysis Core (SMAC) require the highest sensitivity mass spectrometer available, which can be easily coupled to either our uPLC or UPC2 system. We want to combine high-resolution, high-throughput and high sensitivity. SMAC specialise in mass spectrometric analysis to investigate steroid metabolism in clinical applications. Currently our uPLC-MS/MS set-up runs over 1000 samples per month but is not sensitive enough for low level, physiological concentration analysis. We require the highest sensitivity mass spectrometer available, which can be easily coupled to either our uPLC or UPC2 system. We want to combine high-resolution, high-throughput and high sensitivity. To ensure this we have the UPC2 for resolution and throughput and require a Waters Xevo TQ-XS for sensitivity. The Waters Xevo TQ-XS is the only instrument to fulfil our criteria for the following reasons: Laboratory Configuration. The ability to easily switch between chromatography ‘front ends’ and mass spectrometry ‘back ends’ offering 4 different set-ups, uPLC-MS/MS, UPC2-MS/MS, uPLC-(new)MS/MS and UPC2-(new)MS/MS. Easily switching between configurations is only achievable with an all Waters configuration. System Compatibility. There are no current plans for any other vendor to be able to support the UPC2 interface. Waters systems work from Mass Lynx instrument control consoles and target lynx data analysis software (a chromatography system and a mass spectrometer controlled by one computer program). No other vender's software will simultaneously control the UPC2, nor has an interface that can link to the UPC2. Inclusion of an alternative mass spectrometer would require additional software so would not communicate (be incompatible) with each other and this could cause errors in data acquisition. IT requirements. System communications/compatibility would be a concern if the mass spectrometer was purchased from a different supplier. This would require extra hardware and software, as all instruments would need to work in any configuration. This would result in significant IT support and multiple software licences. Method Development Time. All our current methods have been set-up on a Waters system and are transferrable to another Waters system. With multiple methods, revalidation on a different platform would require significant staff time. Training Time. Staff training and system familiarization to any other system would be required. This would cause delays in routine assays being set-up and run, with additional training costs. International Collaboration. Our collaborators operate Waters systems, using the same system configuration allowing us to easily share methods and analysis procedures.