Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Mass spectrometry techniques are critical to identify specific molecular structures and to quantitate specific compounds. Dr. Ken Stark has recently added an ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph (UHLPC) Ion Mobility Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer (IM-QTOF) to the University of Waterloo Mass Spectrometry Facility (UWMSF). This instrument set up is capable of high sensitivity due to high resolution and accurate mass along with additional ion mobility separations. With UHPLC, this instrument is well designed for discovery lipidomic, proteomic and metabolomic research of relatively stable compounds. An atmospheric pressure ionization and gas chromatograph (APGC) package is available for this instrument that allows for rapid switching between front-end APGC and UHPLC. The addition of APGC would allow the IM-QTOF to be used for the analysis of a much broader range of compounds. Specifically, APGC is ideal for the introduction of volatiles and non-polar compounds such as fatty acids and various environmental contaminants, that can be problematic for UHPLC. The APGC also utilizes ""soft"" ionization which preserves the structure of the compound to allow for ultra-trace quantitation which is currently difficult with the current infrastructure in the UWMSF. This instrument would also enable the research programs of several other researchers at Waterloo, as they would be able to use the IM-QTOF to examine small volatile compounds at the core of their research programs. This grant also includes a request for an ultra-cold freezer. The increase in instrumentation and increased users requires that samples, especially biological samples be stored prior to analyses. Ultra-cold freezers are necessary to maintain the integrity of the samples and the target analytes.