Coating materials such as MALDI matrix solutions are aerosolized and are used to coat analyte particles in an acoustic coater. Methods and devices for coating analyte particles in real time are disclosed. The coating improves the detection and quantification of the analyte particles using analytical instruments such as an aerosol time of flight mass spectrometer.

The present invention relates to a method for monitoring kinase activity or activation in a sample, the method comprises the steps of a) providing a sample comprising a kinase, b) incubating the sample with a protease to cleave the kinase provided in step a) into protease specific proteolytic peptides, c) applying phosphopeptide enrichment to the sample, d) analysing the sample obtained in step c) via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and e) detecting phosphorylations of the kinase provided in step a), wherein the detection of step e) is performed only in case a proteolytic peptide associated with the activation region of the kinase is identified.

The present invention provides a method for profiling plant endophyte microbiomes, wherein the method provides for identification of endophyte strains that are phylogenetically related to a desired endophyte strain. More particularly, the present invention relates to method for identifying, characterising and/or comparing endophyte strains and to novel endophyte strains selected and/or isolated by the method. The present invention also relates to methods for transferring endophyte strains between plants.

A surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization method according to an aspect includes: a first process of preparing a sample support (2) having a substrate (21) in which a plurality of through-holes (S) passing from one surface (21a) thereof to the other surface (21b) thereof are provided and a conductive layer (23) that covers at least the one surface (21a); a second process of placing a sample (10) on a sample stage (1) and arranging the sample support (2) on the sample (10) such that the other surface (21b) faces the sample (10); and a third process of applying a laser beam (L) to the one surface (21a) and ionizing the sample (10) moved from the other surface (21b) side to the one surface (21a) side via the through-holes (S) due to a capillary phenomenon.

A method of proteolyzing a protein, including immobilizing a protein in at least one pore of a porous body, and contacting the protein immobilized in the pore and a protease immobilized on a solid surface such that the protease selectively accesses a site of the protein and proteolyzes the protein at the site.

The invention provides a method for identifying a subject suitable for receiving a lung transplant, the method comprising: subjecting a sample to mass spectrometry analysis (in the negative ion mode or positive ion mode; preferably in the positive ion mode) and generating a mass spectrum output; wherein said sample is an isolated sample obtained from a subject that is a candidate for receiving a lung transplant; detecting one or more peak set in said mass spectrum output; wherein the presence of said one or more peak set indicates that the subject is not a suitable candidate for receiving a lung transplant; or wherein the absence of said one or more peak set indicates that the subject is a suitable candidate for receiving a lung transplant. The invention relies on the detection of peak sets specific to the membrane of pathogens, in particular mycobacteria.

A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The method comprises: using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target comprising or consisting of a microbial population; mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and analysing said spectrometric data in order to analyse said microbial population.

A surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization method according to an aspect includes: a first process of preparing a sample support (2) having a substrate (21) in which a plurality of through-holes (S) passing from one surface (21a) thereof to the other surface (21b) thereof are provided and a conductive layer (23) that covers at least the one surface (21a); a second process of placing a sample (10) on a sample stage (1) and arranging the sample support (2) on the sample (10) such that the other surface (21b) faces the sample (10); and a third process of applying a laser beam (L) to the one surface (21a) and ionizing the sample (10) moved from the other surface (21b) side to the one surface (21a) side via the through-holes (S) due to a capillary phenomenon.

The present disclosure provides materials and methods for determining the presence of an N-terminal modification on a therapeutic protein, and/or the efficiency of N-terminal modification, such as PEGylation, at the N-terminus of a therapeutic protein such as Filgrastim (wherein the PEGylated version is therefore Pegfilgrastim).

A method for analyzing a sample includes trapping a first ion packet in a first segment of a multi-segment reaction cell; trapping a second ion packet in a second segment of the multi-segment reaction cell; and trapping a third ion packet in a third segment of the multi-segment reaction cell. At least one of the first, second, and third ion packets includes precursor ions, and at least another one of the first, second, and third ion packets includes reagent ions. The method further includes mixing the first, second, and third ion packets within the reaction cell to cause a reaction between the precursor ions and the reagent ions to form product ions.