Universal absolute quantification of biomolecules using element mass spectrometry and generic standards

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Accurate quantification of biomolecules is crucial in various scientific fields.
• Current methods often require specific or isotopically enriched standards, increasing complexity and cost.
• Elemental analysis offers a pathway to quantify diverse biomolecules based on their elemental composition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel and highly sensitive inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method.
• To enable absolute quantification of a wide range of biomolecules containing specific elements (P, S, Se, As, Br, I).
• To achieve this without the need for specific or isotopically enriched standards.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing ICP-MS for elemental analysis.
• Developing a universal approach applicable to various biomolecule classes (proteins, metabolites, drugs, pesticides).
• Establishing simple and consistent instrumental conditions for all target analytes.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated high sensitivity for the absolute quantification of target biomolecules.
• Successfully quantified diverse biomolecules containing P, S, Se, As, Br, and/or I.
• Validated the method's efficacy without requiring specific or isotopically enriched standards.

Conclusions:

• The presented ICP-MS approach offers a sensitive, simple, and versatile tool for absolute biomolecule quantification.
• Elimination of the need for specialized standards significantly streamlines analytical workflows.
• This method has broad applicability in fields requiring precise elemental and biomolecular analysis.