Medical School Mass Spectrometry Facility

The mass spectrometry facility is part of Swansea University Medical School, we offer collaborative and commercial analytical services grounded in academic excellence. Specialising in Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and MALDI-MS, our facility provides high-resolution, qualitative and quantitative analysis for a wide range of chemical and biomedical applications—including metabolomics, lipidomics, small molecule quantification, and biomarker discovery. The facility was for over 30 years an EPSRC-funded national research facility and continues to deliver expertise in mass spectrometry analysis.

Research and Innovation

Mass spectrometry and chromatography

The following techniques are available at the Medical School's Mass Spectrometry Facility:

Orbitrap XL GCT Premier Xevo G2-S UlrafleXtreme
HPLC-MS
UPLC-MS
GC-MS
MALDI
MS/MS
Accurate Mass
nano-ESI
ASAP

Our hyphenated techniques (GC/MS and LC/MS) and complex contract research are charged per hour basis. All our other techniques will be charged the same price per analysis and include accurate mass measurement as appropriate [with the exception of MALDI as accurate mass measurement is a completely separate analysis to the initial characterisation and therefore an analysis charge will apply].

This means you can choose “Let Mass Spectrometry decide” in our online LIMS, Remote Analyzer (RA), when submitting samples in the first instance without worrying about financial implications as we can continue to allow analyses, or samples, to be interchanged between techniques. Multiple modes within the same technique e.g. positive and negative analyses will each incur a charge, and we will advise if any further analyses are required after the primary analysis and obtain your written agreement before commencing.

We aim to be as fair and helpful as always, please contact us to discuss your specific circumstances and obtain relevant quotations.

We are in a highly competitive market and we realise you have a choice for your mass spectrometry requirements - we look forward to our partnership with you.

“NMSF carried out our GC-MS work swiftly, providing detailed, clear and helpful feedback. We will continue to use the facility to test new polymers and our products to ensure we maintain our position of having the purest Deepwell Storage plates on the market. Mr Nigel Bright, Director, Irish Life Sciences

LC-MS

LC-MS is performed on the Orbitrap using either HPLC or UPLC. Different methods of MS/MS operation are available, Collision induced dissociation (CID), HCD (high energy CID) or PQD (pulsed-Q dissociation). LC-MS is a powerful analytical technique used to separate, identify, and quantify a wide range of compounds, especially small molecules, peptides, metabolites, and pharmaceuticals.

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GC-MS

GC-MS is performed on the Waters GCT Premier using EI, in either polarity. Accurate mass GC-MS can also be performed using the GCT Premier. The stationary phase of preference is DB5 (95% methyl and 5% phenyl). GC conditions depend on those specified in the analysis request. GC-MS can be used to separate and identify volatile and semi-volatile compounds in complex mixtures such as solvents, pesticides, and fragrances.

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ESI and nano-ESI

ESI analyses are generally performed on the Orbitrap XL or Xevo G2-S using nanoelectrospray. For both spray rates, different source ("cone") voltages may be used to either promote molecular fragmentation ("harder" ionisation) or to minimise it and promote multiple charging ("softer" ionisation). Spectra are labelled appropriately when ifferent source voltages give different results.

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MALDI-MS

Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation is performed on Bruker ultrafleXtreme mass spectrometer. A typical procedure involves mixing solutions of sample and matrix. Solvent-free preparations can also be used. MALDI is a technique used to analyze large, complex molecules, especially biomolecules like proteins, peptides, oligonucleotides, and synthetic polymers.

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