Shimadzu’s New MALDI Mass Spectrometer Combines MALDI, MSn and TOF for Extracting the Highest Quality Information from the Most Challenging Samples

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments introduces the AXIMA Resonance™ MALDI QIT TOF mass spectrometer for the structural characterization and sequencing of biomolecules. The combination of quadrupole ion trap (QIT) and high-performance reflectron time-of-flight analyzer provides the highest sensitivity and mass accuracy in Shimadzu’s line of AXIMA MALDI systems.

The AXIMA Resonance provides MS/MS and MSn spectra for a wide range of analytes, including pharmaceutical compounds, peptides, glycans, lipids and polymers.

The AXIMA Resonance combines the flexibility and sensitivity of MALDI with the analytical power of an ion trap and the seamless mass accuracy and resolution of time-of-flight. The latest Hypercool™ technology from Shimadzu Biotech facilitates the use of common MALDI matrices to allow MALDI compatible peptides, glycans, small molecules and others to be easily analyzed in positive or negative ion modes. The power of the ion trap allows the high-resolution selection of parent ions and highly controlled collision induced dissociation (CID) for high-sensitivity MSn acquisitions. The incorporation of a TOF analyzer promotes high resolution and high mass accuracy for all ions generated.

The AXIMA Resonance precursor ion selection allows ions from complex mixtures or closely associated neighboring isotopic envelopes to be isolated and fragmented easily. With an isolation resolution of more than 1,000, researchers can analyze samples with similar nominal mass, even those with overlapping isotopic distributions. The AXIMA Resonance utilizes a heavy collision gas, which optimizes the fragmentation of MALDI singly-charged ions, delivering high collisional energy to complex molecular entities.

A variety of software tools comes standard with the AXIMA Resonance, facilitating manual or fully automated operation and seamless analysis of any number of samples. Intuitive software incorporating data-dependent workflows makes it easy for novice and expert users to achieve the maximum result with the minimum user input.

Software suites are available for various AXIMA Resonance operations. Fully enabled for proteomics experiments, Intellimarque™ provides automated data dependent peptide mass fingerprinting and MS/MS of peptides with optional incorporated Mascot database searching. A tissue imaging suite offers integration with the CHIP™ tissue sample preparation device, automated acquisition of data, and interrogation using proprietary visualization software or automated export to BioMap.

Post translational modification investigation using Shimadzu Biotech’s PTM Finder™ software permits researchers to use data mining to determine novel or previously undetected peptide modifications. In addition, the AXIMA Resonance can be integrated with LC-MALDI software for experiments and confident identification of offline separated complex mixtures with automated MS/MS.

SeqLab, Shimadzu’s newly released de-novo sequencing software, is optimized for use with the AXIMA Resonance, which can provide very high mass accuracy tandem mass spectrometric data, enhancing the success of de-novo sequencing. SeqLab can make use of related MS/MS/MS data, which provide more information, and complete the sequence across the length of the peptide.

The AXIMA Resonance is compatible with other MALDI mass spectrometers that use microtitre plate target format or an appropriate adaptor. For example, samples may be screened in a high-throughput manner using an AXIMA Confidence™ or Performance™, or other compatible MALDI mass spectrometers, and ions of particular interest such as a post-translationally modified peptide or glycan may be investigated further using the AXIMA Resonance.

The compact floor-standing geometry is designed to maximize laboratory space and allow easy installation and servicing. The system is delivered ready to install requiring no assembly on site.