MASS SPECTROMETRY - Access for All - A New Solution to the Age Old Challenge of a Multi-Vendor Open Access Laboratory

In today’s laboratories, mass spectrometry has become one of the primary tools to provide analytical results to a wide range of scientific disciplines and problems. It is no longer a tool solely used for analytical chemistry, but is now being applied to pharmacological data, protein analysis, environmental and food monitoring, forensics analysis, and peptide quantitation, just to name a few. Biologists, chemists, analysts, and students would all like access to results provided by these powerful instruments. However using these instruments requires extensive training on software, instrument use, and maintenance, as well as data analysis.

The complexity of mass spectrometry has often denied access to results for many laboratories, as they need results generated quickly and don’t have the time to invest in continuing training processes. Depending on the type of samples and results required, it can take anywhere from 1 month to 1 year to be fully operational. Many times, a single administrator in the lab will take on the responsibility of training new scientists to use mass specs in their lab. This requires their time as well, to get the new users up and running. Each instrument in the laboratory is often controlled by completely different software, making the training process very long and overwhelming by the time the user has been brought up to speed on each instrument, or requiring that a user be limited to utilizing only one of the instruments in the laboratory.

In addition to the time and effort required to train a new scientist, developing a chromatographic method, sample preparation for mass spectral analysis, and mass spec maintenance also require extensive training for optimal analytical performance. Data analysis presents another set of problems for new analysts who have no prior mass spectrometry understanding. Data processing packages, interpretation of mass spectra, and providing meaningful, accurate results takes some experience. Providing users the access to quality, mass spec results while maintaining a productive, efficient laboratory has historically been quite a challenge.

We present a solution that takes into account all the complexities associated with analytical mass spectrometry analysis outlined in the previous paragraphs. The development of a web-based, multi-vendor, open-access software platform addresses these challenges. AxION^® eDoor^TM presents a new way to allow access for all to mass spectrometry. It enables management of multiple locations, types of analysis, and scientists through a simple-to-use, webenabled interface portal.

It gives the lab administrator control over the mass spectrometry laboratory without all the challenges of training new analysts who simply want mass spec results. Training is streamlined through use of a single interface that works with and controls multiple mass specs with many different types of software packages (Figure 1). Sample submission and training takes < 5 minutes with a very modern, user-friendly, web-based interface that can be accessed anywhere an internet connection is available. By using a single interface, user error is decreased considerably, and automated sample analysis is achieved. In addition, instrument and results monitoring can be done remotely. Administrators can easily manage their open-access laboratories, which has in the past proven to be challenging, time consuming, and inefficient. The intuitive interface allows the administrator to set up the system with users and groups, assign them to specific projects, and then monitor and manage the instruments and samples analyzed (Figure 2). Administrator customizable templates for sample submission are pre-defined and can include an array of options, such as lab notebook number, chemical formula, sample barcode, and compound concentration. These fields can be set up to be optional or required for sample submission. This streamlines the passage of information needed for sample analysis as well as for input into the automatically generated reports. Methods and experiments, including automatic data processing and reporting are set up and assigned to specific users, groups, and projects. The data processing and reporting can be set up to be as simple as a chromatogram with the top five peaks and associated spectra reported or complete quantitative curves and sample concentration reported. Typically, sharing data across project teams has been achieved via email or group meeting; however, this can now be accomplished by allowing access to results via a group or project or by setting up results to be automatically emailed directly to those groups (Figure 3).

Tracking of usage can also be done by running a user, group, or project reports. The administrator does not have to keep a record of samples submitted, as the software can provide tracking details regarding a sample, from the user, barcoded sample ID numbers, and group the sample associated. In addition, the interface is able to track instrument maintenance and notify the administrator of the next preventative maintenance as well as to provide notification of current problems. The server for the entire system is located internally to the laboratory, eliminating concerns about company firewalls, as the system is not accessible externally. The entire system provides the lab administrator an enormous increase in productivity, sample throughput, and efficiency regardless of the instrument vendor or instrument control software.

This new way of open-access laboratory, multi-vendor instrument control provides greater accessibility for users as well. Users only have to learn a single interface to obtain mass spec results from multiple mass spectrometers and types of analyses. It requires users to perform four simple steps to get from sample to results: enter sample information via web, go to the lab and enter sample ID at the laboratory touch screen, place the sample in the instrument and position indicated, and wait for results to be delivered via email. Instruments are automatically assigned to submitted samples, providing faster results and decreased backlog of samples. Results are emailed back in an interactive HTML, PDF, or directly in the software via web, providing truly remote access to mass spectrometers and the results generated (Figure 4).

First-time users and experienced analysts can now access mass spectrometry analyses without needing extensive training or experience in mass spectrometry. This results in freeing up the time of the laboratory administrator to work on other tasks and increase laboratory productivity, throughput, and efficiency while analysts continue to work on ground-breaking research.

Hayley Crowe is the Commercialization Leader for Mass Spectrometry at PerkinElmer, Inc. Ms. Crowe earned her BS in Microbiology from University of Michigan and MS in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Eastern Michigan University. She then continued her research at Pfizer and Novartis in metabolic profiling and lipidomics using mass spectrometry prior to working at PerkinElmer.