Waters Unveils Significant Advances in Mass Spectrometry and Separations Science, Helping Laboratories Accelerate Discovery, Efficiency and Productivity
1 Jun 2008Waters Corporation today unveiled several new mass spectrometry innovations at the 56th American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics, including the Waters® Xevo™ TQ MS System, an advanced tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer that allows scientists with varying levels of mass spectrometry (MS) expertise to quickly produce the highest quality data with confidence.
In addition, Waters is previewing its new TRIZAIC™ UPLC® System with nanoTile™ technology, a new UltraPerformance LC™ separations platform for both large- and small-molecule applications that will deliver information-rich, high-sensitivity analyses when coupled to Waters SYNAPT™ High Definition MS™ (HDMS™) and SYNAPT MS Systems. Other products announced include the VERIFYE™ High Definition Proteomics System, the nanoACQUITY UPLC® System with 2D Technology, and the Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe (ASAP®).
"Mass spectrometry is a vital analytical tool for a wide variety of applications -- pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food safety, environmental," said Art Caputo, Executive Vice President and President of the Waters Division. "Waters is meeting customers’ needs by bringing to market technology that allows laboratories to be more efficient and productive and makes high-performance capabilities available to scientists in various disciplines."
Xevo TQ MS - Making High-End MS Performance More Accessible
The Xevo TQ MS System introduced today is an advanced tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer designed to deliver unrivalled performance and functionality. It uses innovative IntelliStart™ and ScanWave™ technologies to deliver versatility and advanced quantitative capability to a broader range of scientists. IntelliStart is new technology that simplifies instrument setup and time-intensive troubleshooting. It automatically ensures the system is ready for use by performing mass calibration, setting MS resolution, generating compound-specific MS methods (SIR or MRM) and optimizing API source conditions for specific analytical conditions plus much more.
The Xevo TQ MS System operating under MassLynx™ Software is equipped with a unique collision cell that can be operated in conventional T-Wave™1-enabled mode or in a new ScanWave-enabled mode. The ScanWave is an innovative use of T-Wave collision cell technology that improves duty cycle and significantly enhances the full scan capability to meet the demands of today’s complex analyses. This allows scientists to more easily confirm the identities and structures of targeted analytes.
A New Separations Platform for Proteomics Research
Also at ASMS, Waters is previewing its new Trizaic UPLC System with nanoTile Technology. The first iteration of this innovation is the new TRIZAIC UPLC System with nanoTile Technology designed to deliver exceptional sensitivity for limited-sample, direct-flow, nanoscale protein separations. For use with Waters SYNAPT HDMS and SYNAPT MS Systems, it combines novel microfluidic separation technology with Waters sub-two-micron column chemistries, unique solvent delivery and comprehensive data management for both large- and small-molecule applications. TRIZAIC represents a highly-intelligent, integrated systems approach to separation science – fueled by the company’s unequalled UPLC technology.
"TRIZAIC is a way for us to take the complexity out of characterizing proteins using nanoscale chromatographic separations. This proprietary technology is directed at those scientists who are looking for the enhanced resolution that direct-nanoflow UPLC brings to protein characterization, sensitivity and reproducibility," said Dr. Patricia Young, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Waters Division. "We expect this platform will significantly streamline the process of reproducibly identifying and characterizing proteins."
Moving from Discovery to Hypothesis-Driven Proteomics: VerifyE High Definition Proteomics
Waters is augmenting its High Definition Proteomic strategy with the introduction of the new VERIFYE System solution for biomarker verification. VERIFYE delivers the fastest transition from global-discovery to targeted proteomics by expertly selecting proteotypic peptides for quantitative protein assays along with optimum Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) parameters. It uniquely develops targeted UPLC/MS/MS methods by interrogating archived global-discovery data in contrast to commonly used in silico projections of proteotypic peptide suitability.
The VERIFYE system solution is optimized for use with Waters TRIZAIC UPLC and Xevo TQ MS technologies. Xevo TQ MS features an enhanced product ion scan capability that allows highly-sensitive confirmatory MS/MS spectra of proteotypic peptides to be acquired concurrently with MRM data for unimpeachable protein quantification.
The Waters VERIFYE system for hypothesis-driven proteomics completes Waters’ High Definition Proteomics strategy – complementing the previously introduced global-discovery proteomics systems; IDENTITYE™ and EXPRESSIONE™.
Improving Two-Dimensional LC Separations of Proteins
Waters nanoACQUITY UPLC System with 2D Technology expands the use of sub-2-micron particles to achieve high-peak-capacity separations. Waters 2D approach employs reversed-phase chromatography at pH 10 in the first dimension, followed by reversed-phase chromatography at pH 2. By exploiting the wide-ranging ionic and hydrophobic structure of peptides, this new method offers better protein identifications, quantification and sequence coverage than conventional one-dimensional or two-dimensional technology employing strong cation exchange chromatography in the first dimension and reversed-phase chromatography in the second dimension.
New Direct Ionization Interface for Mass Spectrometry
The Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe (ASAP) allows direct ionization of samples using the Z-Spray™ atmospheric pressure ionization (API) source of a Waters mass spectrometer. The ASAP probe permits fast analysis of solid, liquid, tissue or material such as polymer samples, by vaporizing the sample with the hot desolvation gas from the API probe. A low-cost alternative to other direct atmospheric pressure ionization techniques, this technique is ideal for analyzing non-polar compounds that are difficult to analyze by other means. Applications include food and beverage, forensics, pharmaceuticals and petroleum samples. As an option for the SYNAPT HDMS and SYNAPT MS Systems, this is the only implementation of the ASAP probe compatible with high-efficiency ion mobility mass spectrometry experiments.
Waters and Rosetta Biosoftware Showcase Results of Collaboration
Rosetta Biosoftware (www.rosettabio.com) in collaboration with Waters has enabled its Rosetta Elucidator® system to mine Waters UPLC/MSE, high-bandwidth, proteomics discovery data and integrate the Waters IdentityE search engine for secure protein identifications. The solution is already in use by the companies' mutual customers.
"This integration of Waters' UPLC/MSE data acquisition strategy with the Elucidator system's ability to characterize complex protein mixtures creates a powerhouse solution for all our proteomics customers," said Tim Riley, Vice President and Managing Director – Pharmaceutical Business Operations, Waters Division.
Advancements in SYNAPT Technology for Biomedical Applications
In 2006, Waters introduced the SYNAPT High Definition MS System, the first MS system to leverage high-efficiency ion mobility-based measurements and separations to enable the analysis of samples differentiated by size and shape, as well as mass. At this year’s ASMS, Waters will showcase advancements in the award-winning platform, focused on delivering enhanced productivity for biomedical applications.
Making its debut this year at ASMS is the Waters High Definition Imaging (HDI™) MALDI System, based on the dual-ionization MALDI SYNAPT HDMS System. Earlier this year, Waters and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, Tennessee) jointly announced collaborative research efforts using the MALDI SYNAPT HDMS System for enhanced tissue imaging capabilities for oncology research within Vanderbilt’s Mass Spectrometry Research Center. Researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center are focused on novel mass spectrometry approaches to identify and visualize protein expression changes in cells as they transition from a healthy state through various stages of cancer.
Mobility Data Directed Analysis™ (Mobility DDA™) is a new technology available on the SYNAPT HDMS System which provides enhanced MS/MS analysis from limited sample amounts. Mobility DDA leverages the system’s unique high efficiency ion mobility capabilities to provide low level detection limits and higher-quality MS/MS spectra to aid automated, unambiguous identification of proteins in the femtomolar and attomolar range. The new Mobility DDA technology is the perfect complement to Waters IdentityE, ExpressionE and VERIFYE Systems, which are focused on analysis of complex samples in proteomics and biomarker applications.
Also new to ASMS is the SYNAPT MS system, a replacement for the Waters Q-Tof™ Premier product and which is readily upgradeable to perform High Definition MS experiments. Launched in January 2008, the SYNAPT MS system is a next-generation, hybrid quadrupole orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer targeted at enhancing confidence and productivity in health and life science applications. Its unique combination of UPLC/MSE technology and ‘chemically intelligent’ MassLynx informatics are making significant impacts on laboratory productivity, for example as a first line metabolite identification platform in early-stage drug discovery and development, as reported by Merck Research Laboratories in a recent publication (Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2008; 22: 1053–1061).
ACQUITY UPLC® v. 1.31 Instrument Control Software for ABI/MDS Analytical Technologies Mass Spectrometers
With the release of ACQUITY UPLC v 1.31 Instrument Control Software, Waters now offers greater operational integration and connectivity between Waters ACQUITY UPLC System and ABI/MDS Analytical Technologies mass spectrometers on Analyst and Analyst QS mass spectrometry software. The software will be available from Waters beginning in June.
Increased peak concentrations and reduced chromatographic dispersion associated with ACQUITY UPLC technology when used as a front end for mass spectrometry, promotes increased source efficiencies and vast improvements in MS sensitivity and spectral quality. For this reason, scientists have learned the value of leveraging the capabilities of ACQUITY UPLC for the mass spectrometers they have already purchased for their labs as a way to enhance their performance and further preserve their original capital investment. Responding to growing demand, Waters is partnering with MS instrument manufacturers to provide seamless and direct integration. With this new level of compatibility, scientists can expect a higher degree of efficiency and productivity for their LC/MS analyses.