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Conferences, Meetings and Events
Details on happenings, past and future, in person and online.
Quantitation of Alprazolam using Ambient Ionisation (DART) Mass Spectrometry
[Posted: 2 February 2024]
DART-MS lends itself to the fast screening and quantitation of drugs. However, this quantitation can present a number of challenges such as matrix effects, ionisation variability and data processing. A flexible software solution for sample splitting, calibration curve generation with multiple weightings, and report generation for unknowns is shown in this preliminary investigation. Height or area responses can be used as well as internal or external standard calibration and multiple m/z ratios if required. Accurate and reproducible quantitation of Alprazolam from 10 ppb to 10 ppm is shown using D5-Alprazolam internal standard using DART JumpShot® on a Bruker Impact II QTOF.
Evaluating the Suppression Tolerance of a Novel Walk-up Desktop Trace Detector
[Posted: 2 February 2024]
Traditional forensic practices utilising Mass Spectrometry Trace Detection (MS-TD) boast high-throughput and assured analysis of trace surface samples. But this powerful technique is no longer confined to forensic labs. We present a prototype system from Mass Spec Analytical Ltd. (MSA) that redefines desktop, portable trace detection. This “Next Generation Desktop Threat Detector” demonstrates a novel approach capable of identifying a diverse range of threats (explosives, pesticides, drugs, chemical warfare simulants) from various compound groups, using swab sampling.
BMSS Ambient Ionisation SIG Meeting 2024
[Posted: 26 October 2023]
The meeting will be a celebration of ambient ionisation mass spectrometry featuring presentations from the key founders of this area with a historical and forward-facing view of the area.
Direct real time analysis of sub picogram levels of pesticides in drinks
[Posted: 18 September 2023]
Pesticides are widely used in agriculture to control pests and improve food security and yields. However, they are also toxic to humans and so are regularly monitored in foods and beverages to protect consumers. Safe levels of pesticides in many products are not based on human health thresholds but on minimum reporting levels of analytical instruments at levels of approximately 1 ppb (1 pg ul-1 or 1 pg g-1). Food and beverage matrices can be challenging and so often require lengthy clean-up which leads to long processing times. Research question: Is it possible to use TD-GC-MS to differentiate by material?
Rapid Screening of Submicroliter Urine Samples for Drugs of Abuse utilizing Pulsed Gas Ambient Ionization
[Posted: 3 May 2022]
Rapid detection of trace drugs-of-abuse in urine is demonstrated using a pulsed gas direct analysis in real time ambient ionization equipped time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Submicroliter sampling combined with analysis at multiple temperatures serve to minimize the matrix effects normally encountered in direct analysis of urine without pre-processing to remove salts, proteins, metabolic products including creatinine and urea.
Simplifying the detection of explosives in a walk-up environment
[Posted: 3 May 2022]
The composition of volatiles from freshly ground roast-ed coffee is complex, with hundreds of chemical compounds contributing to the aroma. Head-space solid-phase micro-extraction was used to sample volatiles from five different coffees for analysis by GC-MS. Chemometric analysis revealed specific differences between coffees from different origins and different preparations.