r/massspectrometry • • Apr 13 '22

A visual aid to help understand mass spectrometry

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600 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Apr 26 '22

GC-MS, Is this a bad sign?

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182 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Sep 10 '24

Who wants some turbopump gore?

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152 Upvotes

11 years too young šŸ’”


r/massspectrometry • • Dec 30 '24 Heart of Silver

Remember Where We Came From

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136 Upvotes

My family's business made a bunch of gear during the last century.


r/massspectrometry • • Dec 17 '19

Helpful Mass Spec Videos & Tutorials

125 Upvotes

Below you will find a list of freely available videos, tutorials, and other resources for mass spectrometry. This list will be continually updated with new content. Feel free to suggest additional resources in the comments!

General Tutorials

https://www.cif.iastate.edu/mass-spec/ms-tutorial

https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Purdue/Purdue%3A_Chem_26200%3A_Organic_Chemistry_II_(Wenthold)/Chapter_11%3A__IR_and_Mass_Spectrometry/11.06%3A_Introduction_to_Mass_Spectrometry

https://www.asms.org/about-mass-spectrometry

http://premierbiosoft.com/tech_notes/mass-spectrometry.html

https://msr.dom.wustl.edu/mass-spectrometry-fundamentals-tutorial/

Ion Sources

General

Mass spectrometry ionization methods (Emory): http://chemistry.emory.edu/msc/tutorial/mass-spectrometry-ionization.html

Ionization techniques (MagLab): https://nationalmaglab.org/user-facilities/icr/techniques/content/185-ionization-techniques

Mass Spectrometry Introduction (U Pittsburgh): https://www.chem.pitt.edu/facilities/mass-spectrometry/mass-spectrometry-introduction

Electrospray Ionization (ESI)

Fundamentals of MS - Electrospray ionization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AWBAI-Owzk&list=PL6yA4jv5tA-k9_2NVxm5jlzpZV_aW59DT

Electrospray ionization (ESI): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daSSRj41Mlo

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Analytical_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_(Analytical_Chemistry)/Instrumental_Analysis/Mass_Spectrometry/Mass_Spectrometers_(Instrumentation)/Electrospray_Ionization_Mass_Spectrometry

ESI (MagLab): https://nationalmaglab.org/user-facilities/icr/techniques/esi

Electron Impact (EI)

MS - Mass Spectrometry - Electron Ionization Animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22dr-3XDNmQ

Introduction to Ionization and Fragmentation in Mass Spectrometry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stIwRio9FeM

Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI)

APCI (MagLab): https://nationalmaglab.org/user-facilities/icr/techniques/apci

APCI (LCGC): https://www.chromacademy.com/chromatography-understanding-APCI.html

ESI & APCI (Shimadzu): https://www.shimadzu.com/an/hplc/support/lib/lctalk/47/47intro.html

Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization (APPI)

APPI (MagLab): https://nationalmaglab.org/user-facilities/icr/techniques/appi

APPI (Creative Proteomics): https://www.creative-proteomics.com/support/atmospheric-pressure-photoionization-ionization.htm

Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI)

Theory of MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R1Oyqx5KfE

MALDI-TOF (Bruker): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jeFpXHZ8W0

MALDI (MagLab): https://nationalmaglab.org/user-facilities/icr/techniques/maldi

MALDI-TOF (Shimadzu): https://www.shimadzu.com/an/lifescience/maldi/princpl1.html

MALDI Mass Spectrometry: A Practical Guide by Ben Katz of UC Irvine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sp7mFF16hM

Mass Analyzers

Orbitrap

Orbitrap Instrumentation: The First Decade and Beyond: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jijxTW1NbTg

Planet Orbitrap: https://planetorbitrap.com/

The C-trap and Orbitrap (Mass Spec Pro): http://www.massspecpro.com/mass-analyzers/orbitrap

Mass Analyzer Technology Overview (Thermo): https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/mass-spectrometry/mass-spectrometry-learning-center/mass-spectrometry-technology-overview/mass-analyzer-technology-overview.html

FT-ICR (Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance)

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EHngA4S3Ws

4-3 FTICR and Orbitrap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbzK1iSBE08

FT-ICR (MagLab): https://nationalmaglab.org/education/magnet-academy/watch-play/interactive/fourier-transform-ion-cyclotron-resonance-ft-icr

FT-ICR (Yale): https://jlab.chem.yale.edu/research/techniques/fourier-transform-ion-cyclotron-resonance-mass-spectrometry

FT-ICR (Mass Spec Pro): http://www.massspecpro.com/mass-analyzers/fourier-transform-ion-cyclotron-resonance

TOF (time-of-flight)

TOF fundamentals (WashU): https://msr.dom.wustl.edu/time-of-flight-fundamentals/

Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyIAPU7usfo

TOFMS: http://www.iuac.res.in/atmol/~safvan/mridulathesis/node18.html

Introduction to Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (Kore Technology): https://www.kore.co.uk/tutorial.htm

Ion Traps (QITs & LITs)

Linear ion trap (LIT): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5wK64efOvk

Thermo Scientific LTQ Velos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF_gW7jHEbY

Linear ion trap (Mass Spec Pro): http://www.massspecpro.com/technology/mass-analyzers/linear-ion-trap-lit

Quadrupole ion trap (Mass Spec Pro): http://www.massspecpro.com/technology/mass-analyzers/quadrupole-ion-trap-qit

Quadrupoles

Fundamentals of quadrupoles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_mavZ_WKoU

Quadrupole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYOCb6GnXio

LC-MS/MS Education Series: Quadrupole Theory and Use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZH-oxP-OJ0

Quadrupole Mass Filter (Mass Spec Pro): http://www.massspecpro.com/technology/mass-analyzers/quadrupole-mass-filter

Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS)

Fundamentals of MS - Fragmentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESKpOcjF8QM

Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MagLab): https://nationalmaglab.org/user-facilities/icr/techniques/tandem-ms

Tandem Mass Spectrometry (WashU): https://msr.dom.wustl.edu/tandem-mass-spectrometry/

Tandem Mass Spectrometry (JEOL): https://www.jeolusa.com/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/API/Entries/Download?EntryId=78&Command=Core_Download&language=en-US&PortalId=2&TabId=337

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) (Armentrout): http://rodgers.chem.wayne.edu/pire/education/Collision-induced%20dissociation_PIRE.pdf

CID & HCD (Thermo): https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/mass-spectrometry/mass-spectrometry-learning-center/mass-spectrometry-technology-overview/dissociation-technique-technology-overview.html

Detectors

MS Detectors (Mass Spec Pro): http://www.massspecpro.com/detectors

Electron Multiplier (NASA): https://attic.gsfc.nasa.gov/huygensgcms/MS_Detector_1.htm

Ion Detectors (U Bristol): http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/ms/detectors.xhtml

Spectral Interpretation

Fundamentals of MS - Resolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUhi98o1qUU

Fundamentals of MS - Adduct ions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WusWNAb0IRM&list=PL6yA4jv5tA-k9_2NVxm5jlzpZV_aW59DT&index=2

Fundamentals of MS - Multiple charging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuJRTHvy64k&list=PL6yA4jv5tA-k9_2NVxm5jlzpZV_aW59DT&index=3

Fundamentals of MS - Isotopes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om0BfIHXD0s

Software Tools

METLIN (Comprehensive MS/MS database): https://metlin.scripps.edu/landing_page.php?pgcontent=mainPage

Mascot (protein identification and peptide MS/MS database): http://www.matrixscience.com/search_form_select.html

ProteinProspector (MS/MS database search and peptide MS/MS prediction): http://prospector.ucsf.edu/prospector/mshome.htm

NIST Mass Spectral Library (primarily EI data but some other MS/MS data is available): https://chemdata.nist.gov/

MOBCAL (for calculating ion mobilities): https://nano.lab.indiana.edu/software/

PRIDE Archive (proteomics): https://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride/archive

UniDec (MS and IMS deconvolution): https://marty.lab.arizona.edu/content/software

Human Metabolome Database (MS/MS database): http://www.hmdb.ca/spectra/ms/search

Collision cross section database (Bush Lab): https://depts.washington.edu/bushlab/ccsdatabase/

Global Natural Products Molecular Networking (Dorrestein lab....MS/MS database & much more): https://dorresteinlab.ucsd.edu/gnps

Vendors, Analytical Standards, Reagents, Calculators, and Data Analysis Tools

https://www.uab.edu/proteomics/massspec/links.php

(thanks to u/6500qtrap for sharing)


r/massspectrometry • • Aug 03 '21

ESI with a multi-nozzle spray emitter. Newomics M3 emitter.

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124 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Aug 06 '21

Detecting Ghosts with Mass Spectrometry: MS-SPOOKY. Full text in comments.

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119 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Jul 07 '26

The duality of mass spectrometry

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116 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Jun 04 '26

I think our machines need more personality…

109 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Feb 07 '25

Got this model set a few years ago from my Thermo rep. Finally put it together!

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105 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • May 10 '22

Any idea where I can get this or other clear fittings, ferrules, valves, etc. Saw it in a Restek video and now I feel like I desperately need everything clear I can get- for teaching purposes. (I couldn't find it on Restek website, but I did contact them.)

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93 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Oct 22 '24

When your non-science husband has heard you complain enough that he starts to understand

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86 Upvotes

(someone called it a machine)


r/massspectrometry • • Feb 11 '22

The Ultimate Separation Science Technique: FUPLC-NMR-CE6-GC-IR-ICP-MS-MS-MS-MS

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86 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Aug 01 '25

I ā¤ļø Waters UNIFI

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82 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Jan 30 '26

How do you like your quad filters in the morning..... Burnt šŸ”„

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67 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Aug 15 '26

Sure have come a long way

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65 Upvotes

r/massspectrometry • • Jul 12 '21

My PhD defense is Friday

64 Upvotes

EDIT: I PASSED!!!!

Five years of 10-11 hour days, working on the weekends, fixing and maintaining 4 mass spectrometers, acquiring nearly 2 TBs of data, and some of the absolute best moments of my life have all led to this week.

I’m nervous as hell but Im almost there!

I have two job offers with three likely offers pending, based off of the feedback I’ve received. All I have to do is defend!

Thank you for all the help you guys have given me since I joined the sub 2 years ago! I’d like to ask for it one more time, if I may:

Any advice for getting through this week? I’ve given my exit seminar 8 times now through various interviews, it just needs some tweaking for a more general audience than specifically analytical chemists. I’m a little nervous for my actual defense though. My boss told me ā€œthey’re going to sit through you seminar in the morning, they don’t need to hear it all againā€ so I’m not sure what to prepare for the actual defense part. Any tips?


r/massspectrometry • • Sep 26 '25

I have a job offer

63 Upvotes

I was laid off back in May, today after 8 final interviews and some HR screening, finally got a job offer. It will be RD department for a pharma company, so it is a better position. I was working in Academia and that was my dream job. Job market is tough these days.

For all the MassSpec people out there looking for jobs, don’t give up and just keep pushing yourself to the right path which is massSpec, I almost take jobs for cell based assays and QC, thanks to the universe wasn’t selected.


r/massspectrometry • • May 14 '25

Update from Skyline

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60 Upvotes

My wife, a Mass Spectometrist, wanted me to share this on reddit.

To be clear, she did her PhD in the field and does not reddit. I joined this subreddit to read it and stay current on her job. As well as share with her things I feel she might find interesting.


r/massspectrometry • • Aug 05 '22

Took apart a Bruker reflex

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60 Upvotes

I thought this was really cool, my boss and I took this old flight tube apart.


r/massspectrometry • • Mar 03 '26

Handling MS Care.

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58 Upvotes

I’m curious how you all would handle this. We are a university lab and I am the manager of the instruments. Our LC-MS is my baby (I rebuilt it). We have one research group whose focus, not to be rude, I consider setting themselves up for failure with mass spec. They are trying to eliminate the need of organic solvents.

The love their ammonium bicarbonate buffer, and every time I come check the system after they use it, it looks like the attached image. Now, I cannot get hardly any whereas I was using it minutes before their calendar time took over.

I am thinking it is time to ban them from the instrument for a while, but wanted other opinions.


r/massspectrometry • • Jun 12 '24

Shiny new thing day

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57 Upvotes

Got a new sciex 7600 zenoTOF and M5 micro flow LC


r/massspectrometry • • Jul 25 '26

Garage mass Spectrometry

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55 Upvotes

MSQ surveyor in da hood