A method of analysis using mass and/or ion mobility spectrometry or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed comprising: using a first device to generate aerosol, smoke or vapour from one or more regions of a first target of biological material; and mass and/or ion mobility analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said aerosol, smoke, or vapour, or ions derived therefrom so as to obtain first spectrometric data. The method may use an ambient ionisation method.

A method for detecting the amount of one or more HRT panel analytes (i.e., estrone (E1), estrone sulfate (E1s), 17-estradiol (E2a), 17-estradiol (E2b), estradiol sulfate (E2s), estriol (E3), equilin (EQ), 17-dihydroequilin (EQa), 17-dihydroequilin (EQb), Equilenin (EN), 17-dihydroequilenin (ENa), 17-dihydroequilenin (ENb), and 8,9-dehydroestrone (dE1)) in a sample by mass spectrometry includes ionizing one or more HRT panel analytes in a sample and quantifying the generated ions to determine the amount of one or more HRT panel analytes in the sample. In methods where amounts of multiple HRT panel analytes are detected, the amounts of multiple analytes are detected in the same sample injection.

Methods are provided for detecting and/or quantifying insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) variant(s) in a sample. Methods provided herein are further directed to using the detected ion or ions to determine the presence of IGF2 variant(s) in the sample.

Provided herein are methods of determining the size and purify of nucleic acids (e.g., mRNAs) by using hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC)-based methods to separate the nucleic acids from a mixture, followed by mass spectrometry to determine the size of the nucleic acids.