Thermo Scientific Announces Expanded Portfolio of Applications Software for the Q Exactive Mass Spectrometer

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has announced an expanded portfolio of mass spectrometry applications software that takes advantage of the high performance and versatility of the Thermo Scientific Q Exactive quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer.

Now laboratories can perform a broader range of quantitative and qualitative (quan/qual) workflows with greater speed and confidence.

The company will showcase the applications software, as well as the Q Exactive™ mass spectrometer, in Thermo Scientific booth 1 and at the Thermo Scientific hospitality suite at the Vancouver Convention Center (Parkview Terrace - Rooms 1, 2 and 3) during ASMS 2012, being held from May 21 - 24.

“As the first commercial system to bring together quadrupole precursor selection and HR/AM Orbitrap mass analysis, the Q Exactive mass spectrometer is the premier tool for high-confidence identification, quantitation and confirmation of trace-level components in complex mixtures,” said Ian Jardine, vice president of global R&D, Thermo Fisher.

Jardine continued, “Now with an expanded suite of powerful applications software, laboratories performing a broad range of applications can more easily take advantage of the capabilities of the Q Exactive system to enhance their workflows.”

The suite of MS applications software available for the Q Exactive mass spectrometer includes:

• Thermo Scientific ExactFinder software for food safety, environmental safety and forensic toxicology laboratories, which streamlines data processing in routine targeted and general unknown screening applications. With the ability to now process Q Exactive MS/MS scan functions, the ExactFinder™ software version 2.0 unifies quan/qual HR/AM data processing to increase productivity and confidence in results.

• Thermo Scientific TraceFinder software, easy-to-use, workflow-driven software for laboratories performing routine quantitation and targeted screening using GC and LC-MS. Now compatible with both low- and high-resolution data, TraceFinder™ software version 2.1 increases productivity with powerful method development, simplified data acquisition and comprehensive data review capabilities.

• Thermo Scientific Proteome Discoverer software version 1.3, flexible, expandable software for the analysis of quantitative and qualitative proteomics data. Percolator, which is included in Proteome Discoverer version 1.3, allows users to maximize throughput with the Q Exactive system and extract more information from MS/MS data.

• Thermo Scientific SIEVE software, an automated solution for label-free, semi-quantitative differential expression analysis of proteins, peptides and metabolites that significantly increases the throughput of complex biomarker discovery experiments. SIEVE™ software version 2.0 includes advanced algorithms for small-molecule differential analyses that speed large-scale data reduction and reduce false positives in metabolomics applications.

• Thermo Scientific Pinpoint software, which facilitates the transition from early stage biomarker discovery to larger-scale, quantitative verification of putative biomarkers and general quantitative proteomics. Pinpoint™ software version 1.3 further speeds peptide and protein quantitation.

• Thermo Scientific Protein Deconvolution software, the only protein deconvolution software available that takes full advantage of the HR/AM data produced by Obitrap™ mass spectrometers such as the Q Exactive system and significantly improves the qualitative identification and characterization of intact proteins.

• Thermo Scientific LCQuan software version 2.7, which provides Q Exactive system compatibility for regulated pharmaceutical laboratories that want to take advantage of superior HR/AM data for their most challenging assays. It enables data management for LC-MS quantitation workflows within a 21 CFR Part 11-compliant environment.

• Thermo Scientific MetQuest software for automated quan/qual analysis of drugs and their metabolites, which streamlines throughput in early drug discovery laboratories. MetQuest™ software version 1.2 offers easy setup, comprehensive data collection, automated data analysis and simplified review and reporting.

• Thermo Scientific Mass Frontier software version 7.0 SR1, which offers a confident path from spectra to structure through chemically intelligent structural elucidation. The software simplifies management, evaluation and interpretation of mass spectral data and is used for metabolism, metabolomics, forensics, natural products, impurities and degradants research.

• Thermo Scientific MetWorks software version 1.3 SP2, which integrates processing and reporting for the study of xenobiotics. It simplifies and accelerates the search for expected and unexpected biotransformations and provides an easy-to-use interface for data mining. It also integrates the features of Mass Frontier™ software for component detection into one intuitive workflow.