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Related Concept Videos

Tandem Mass Spectrometry01:21

Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Tandem mass spectrometry is a technique that uses multiple mass analyzers in series to obtain a higher selectivity and reduce chemical noise during analyte detection. Instruments with multiple analyzers separated by an interaction cell enable secondary fragmentation and selected study of the fragment ions.Secondary fragmentations occur in the interaction cell and can be induced by various factors. Fragmentation induced by collision with inert gases, such as N2, Ar, He, etc., is called...
Peptide Identification Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry01:33

Peptide Identification Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Tandem mass spectrometry, also known as MS/MS or MS2, is an analytical technique that employs two mass analyzers. Essentially it is a series of mass spectrometers that helps isolate a particular biomolecule and then helps study its chemical properties.
This technique helps gather information regarding the protein from which the peptide was obtained and to study the peptides’ amino acid sequence. Identifying peptides from a complex mixture is an important component of the growing field of...
Mass Spectrometry: Complex Analysis01:21

Mass Spectrometry: Complex Analysis

Mass spectrometry is an important technique for the identification of pure compounds. However, it has some limitations for the analysis of complex mixtures, often due to excessive fragmentation making the spectrum too complicated to decipher. Mass spectrometry can be combined with suitable separation methods in sequence, forming hyphenated methods, which are useful in the analysis of complex mixtures.
GC–MS is a powerful hyphenated method commonly used in forensics and environmental...
MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry01:19

MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry is a powerful characterization technique that can identify and separate a wide variety of compounds ranging from chemical to biological entities, based on their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). The instruments that allow this detection, known as mass spectrometers, have three components: an ion source, a mass analyzer, and a detector. These spectrometers differ based on the nature of their ion source and analyzers.Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) is a commonly...
Mass Spectrometers01:16

Mass Spectrometers

This lesson details the instrumentation of a mass spectrometer—a physical instrument to perform mass spectrometry on analyte molecules and record the characteristic mass spectra. This is achieved via three chief functions:
Mass Spectrometry: Overview01:19

Mass Spectrometry: Overview

Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique used to determine the molecular mass and molecular formula of a compound. The basic principle of mass spectrometry is to generate ions from the analyte molecule and measure these ion abundances against their molecular mass. One common type of ionization, known as electron ionization or EI, bombards the analyte molecules in the gas phase with high-energy electron beams. The electron beams displace an electron from the molecule and leave behind a...

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Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Using a Cyclic Ion Mobility Spectrometer for Tandem Ion Mobility Experiments
08:40

Using a Cyclic Ion Mobility Spectrometer for Tandem Ion Mobility Experiments

Published on: January 20, 2022

Tandem mass spectrometry.

C E Costello1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|March 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electron ionization mass spectrometry (EIMS) is useful for small molecules but struggles with larger ones. Tandem mass spectrometry overcomes these limitations, enabling detailed structural analysis of complex biological compounds and mixtures.

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Deep Proteome Profiling by Isobaric Labeling, Extensive Liquid Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, and Software-assisted Quantification
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Deep Proteome Profiling by Isobaric Labeling, Extensive Liquid Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, and Software-assisted Quantification

Published on: November 15, 2017

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Last Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Using a Cyclic Ion Mobility Spectrometer for Tandem Ion Mobility Experiments
08:40

Using a Cyclic Ion Mobility Spectrometer for Tandem Ion Mobility Experiments

Published on: January 20, 2022

Deep Proteome Profiling by Isobaric Labeling, Extensive Liquid Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, and Software-assisted Quantification
10:37

Deep Proteome Profiling by Isobaric Labeling, Extensive Liquid Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, and Software-assisted Quantification

Published on: November 15, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Electron ionization mass spectrometry (EIMS) offers high sensitivity and mixture analysis for small biomolecules.
  • EIMS is limited for large or polar compounds due to thermal degradation during vaporization.
  • Soft ionization methods reduce thermal degradation but yield limited fragmentation data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) as a solution for detailed structural elucidation of biological compounds.
  • To highlight MS/MS capabilities in analyzing complex mixtures and modified biomolecules.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to decompose molecular ions and analyze fragment ions.
  • Recording mass spectra of decomposition products to reveal structural details.
  • Applying MS/MS to various compound types, including lipids and conjugated molecules.

Main Results:

  • Tandem mass spectrometry provides detailed structural information, including sequence and modifications.
  • MS/MS successfully identifies components in complex mixtures.
  • Fragment ion analysis enables specific structural determination of individual components.

Conclusions:

  • Tandem mass spectrometry is crucial for overcoming EIMS limitations in analyzing large and complex biological molecules.
  • MS/MS offers powerful capabilities for comprehensive structural determination of diverse biomolecules and mixtures.
  • The presented survey showcases the utility of MS/MS in structural biology research.