Q Exactive™ Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer is a bench-top ESI LC-MS/MS system that combines quadrupole precursor ion selection with high-resolution, accurate-mass (HRAM) Orbitrap detection. Learn more about Q Exactive from Thermofisher.
- Resolving power 140,000 FWHM
- < 1 ppm mass accuracy
- HCD fragmentation (MS/MS)
- Extended mass range (up to 6,000 m/z)
- Triple quadrupole-equivalent ability to quantify compounds
Q Exactive mass spectrometer can be interfaced with a Vanquish Flex UHPLC system for LC-MS and LC-MS/MS analyses. Learn more about Vanquish from Thermofisher.
Internal use rates
- Facility-assisted use $113/hr
Typical analysis times are 15 – 30 minutes for individual samples, including data reporting.
Types of samples
Small molecules, drugs, peptides and proteins, carbohydrate and nucleic acid oligomers, lipids, and other compounds amenable to ESI. Quantitative analysis (SIM, PRM).
Sample requirements
Samples must be soluble in water or a volatile organic solvent, and this solution must be miscible with commonly used ESI mobile phases (methanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile, water).
Sample concentration should be in the 0.01 – 1 mM range; volume 0.01 – 0.1 mL for aqueous solutions, and 0.1 – 0.5 mL for volatile organic solutions.
Low concentrations of salts and buffers (<10 mM) are permitted for samples submitted for LC-MS. Detergents are not compatible with reversed-phase LC MS.
Sample submission process
- Activate your iLab account if you have not already done so. Make sure that an active fund is associated with your name (or your PI’s name).
- Fill out and print the Request for MS Analysis form (for more than 8 samples, use Excel sample list).
- Contact Tatiana when your samples are ready to be submitted and bring your samples to room 221, Frear South.
Penn State campuses and external partners
- Ship dry samples by a carrier of your choice (including PSU campus mail)
- Email all sample information to Tatiana
- External partners must have a PO in iLab before shipping the samples
Sample information forms
Request for MS Analysis (1 – 8 samples): Request for MS analysis
Excel sample list (9 or more samples): Sample_sequence_file
FAQ
Q: How long does it take to get data?
A: This will depend on the number and type of samples already in the queue. Typical analysis times are 1 day to 1 week.
Q: How can I become a trained user?
A: Becoming an operator of the Q Exactive requires several hours of initial training plus regular use of the instrument. We train one person per laboratory who will be analyzing samples at least once a week.
A great way to reduce the cost and expedite your analyses is to analyze your MS data yourself. Contact Tatiana for details.