AB SCIEX Discuss their Latest Mass Spec Software Offering

AB SCIEX has announced the launch of MasterView Software for accurate mass spectrometry, an application which promises laboratories high resolution technology without the need for mass spec expertise.  We caught up with Michael Jarvis, Technical Marketing Manager, Clinical Research at AB SCIEX, to find out more about what MasterView Software has to offer.

TN: What does the MasterView Software offer scientists that differs from previous MS software?
Michael Jarvis: MasterView software helps forensic toxicologists to easily extract meaningful information from complex datasets. For targeted screening, the software automatically assesses a variety of measured values and compares with expected values – including accurate mass, isotope pattern, MS/MS fragmentation pattern, and retention time – and provides the user with a concise list of detected compounds, with confidence scores. For non-targeted (unknown) screening, the software automatically predicts chemical formulae for all detected peaks, and then uses online database searching to determine the identity and structure of the compounds. In contrast, previous MS software required a great deal of manual interpretation of the data, meaning that a great deal of time was wasted on data analysis.
 
TN: How will the MasterView Software transform sample analysis and turnaround in the average laboratory?
MJ: By automating the interpretation of data, MasterView alleviates one of the major bottlenecks in the laboratory, freeing up valuable resources to perform other tasks.
 
TN: What is it about the new MasterView Software that makes it so accessible to all scientists, including those who may not be familiar with mass spectrometry?
MJ: MasterView software enables scientists to obtain answers in as few as 5 clicks of the mouse! The intuitive traffic-light system of confidence scoring allows scientists to quickly determine which compounds are present in an unknown sample. Furthermore, by automating the analysis of data, the MasterView software ensures consistency and objectivity in data interpretation, even for inexperienced users.

TN: Forensic analysis is a rapidly growing area for those in laboratory sciences, how big a part does AB SCIEX see itself playing in the future of this market field?
MJ: AB SCIEX is committed to delivering the tools to enable forensic toxicologists to adopt cutting edge technology, such as our TripleTOF® high resolution mass spectrometry systems, which allow scientists to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of new designer drugs, for example the synthetic cannabinoids and “bath salts”. By focusing on developing easy-to-use software tools for data interpretation, AB SCIEX aims to make mass spectrometry accessible to all forensic scientists, even those who may not be familiar with this technology.

Michael Jarvis was speaking to Louise Conlin, Editor, Technology Networks