A GE Healthcare MDLC dual flow-path nano-HPLC system

A dual flow-path nano-HPLC system coupled to the nano-spray source of the QSTAR and optimised for high throughput LC-MS-MS analyses of complex peptide mixtures. This LC-MS configuration allows both unlabelled and labelled (iTRAQ) peptide fractions to be analysed in a high throughput and reproducible manner.

An Applied Biosystems QStar pulsar I tandem mass spectrometer

Mass spectroscopic peptide separation and de novo sequencing is carried out on and Applied Biosystems QSTAR PULSARi^TM quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometer coupled to an LC Packings UltiMate^TM nano HPLC workstation.

LC MS-MS control, data acquisition and spectral processing are carried out using Applied Biosystems Ananlyst and BioAnalyst^TM software. Protein identification using Protein Pilot and MASCOT search tools is made on in house computers searching all publicly available databases.

An Advion NanoMate chip based infusion robot

The Nanomate can be coupled to the QSTAR to provide an automated chip based infusion device for protein and peptide analyses direct from 96 well micro titre plates. Sample volumes of 1-2ml are sufficient and any unused sample can be recovered from the infusion tip back into the sample well.

Sensitivity of this interface with the QSTAR is a bit of an issue with digests, although the system gives a very stable spray and is ideal as an interface for looking at intact proteins.