A kit or composition for in situ simultaneously derivatization of 14 phenol and carboxylic acid metabolites of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in a urine sample is disclosed. The derivatization imparts a positive charge to phenol and carboxylic acid for subsequent LC-MS analysis. Limit of detection reached part-per-trillion levels for o-Cresol and part-per-billion levels for the remaining BTEX metabolites. BTEX metabolites can be detected in less than 35 mins according to one embodiment of the invention. Methods, kits and compositions disclosed herein can be used for in situ simultaneous derivatization of phenol and carboxylic acid in aqueous solution in general.

Reagents and methods for obtaining a metabolite solution comprising a mass spectrometry compatible volatile salt or volatile compound.

An automated system for lipid exchange-mass spectrometry, e.g., measuring affinity of a membrane protein for lipids. The automated systems herein can measure the specificity of membrane protein-lipid interactions, detect remodeling of the membrane environment, and determine optimal lipid composition for membrane proteins.

The present invention is directed to an isolated synthetic tripeptide of formula H-D-Phe-N-Methyl-L-Val-L-Ala-OMe (SEQ ID NO:1), or a derivative thereof, and to the corresponding lipotripeptides, which are specific to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) S-type strain, as well as derivatives and conjugates thereof. The invention also concerns the use of these antigens in different methods and tests for detecting Map infection, especially by detecting humoral response and cell mediated response of infected animals. The invention is also directed to a genetic signature of Map and a mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy signature of Map presence or infection.

Methods are described for measuring the amount of one or more of vitamin A, α-tocopherol, and the combination of β-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol in a sample. More specifically, mass spectrometric methods are described for detecting and quantifying one or more of vitamin A, α-tocopherol, and the combination of β-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol in a sample.

A method of capturing human immunoglobulin Fc domains in a biofluid sample is provided. The method includes providing an affinity capture device. The affinity capture device includes a surface having an aptamer that is at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO 1 immobilized onto the surface of the affinity capture device. The biofluid sample is diluted with a binding buffer. The binding buffer includes (A) tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris), trimethylamine (TES), 2-ethanesulfonic acid (MES), or 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES); (B) a magnesium cation at a concentration between about 10 μM to about 20 mM; and (C) a total monovalent cation concentration from 0 to no greater than 100 mM. The human immunoglobulin Fc domains in the biofluid sample are adsorbed to the aptamer with the binding buffer.

The disclosure provides methods for detecting and diagnosing diseases and conditions associated with defects in cardiolipin remodeling. In some embodiments, the present technology relates to methods for detecting the presence or amount of cardiolipin isoforms and/or the presence or amount of enzymes involved in cardiolipin remodeling.

The present invention in general relates to a method of localization and structural characterization of peptides in a formaldehyde-fixed paraffin-embedded biological sample using matrix assisted ionization (such as in MALDI). Specifically, the invention relates to the combination of the development of a sample preparation protocol which does not require any enzymatic digestion nor antigen-retrieval steps, with highly sensitive mass spectrometry.

A method for analyzing single cells by mass spectrometry includes the steps of providing a plurality of cells in a liquid medium and placing the cells and liquid medium in a single cell isolation and ejection system. Liquid medium containing a single cell is released from the single cell isolation and ejection system. The liquid medium and single cell are captured in a capture probe containing a flowing capture probe solvent. The cell is lysed by a lysis inducer in the capture probe to disperse single cell components into the medium. The lysed single cell components are transported to a mass spectrometer, where the lysed single cell components entering the mass spectrometer are spatially and temporally separated from any dispersed components of another single cell from the sample entering the mass spectrometer. Mass spectrometry is conducted on the lysed single-cell components. A system for analyzing single cells by mass spectrometry is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method for the preparation of living, microbial samples and microorganisms for subsequent mass spectrometric measurement and evaluation. Findings which can be derived from such a measurement can particularly serve the faster identification of microorganisms in the microbial sample according to species/subspecies and/or the fast determination of resistance/sensitivity of the microorganisms to antimicrobial substances and/or the further characterization of microorganisms, for example in respect of pathogenicity, virulence and metabolism. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the preparation particularly takes place directly on a mass spectrometric sample support.