The TriVersa NanoMate: Automation of Nano Electrospray Analyses

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Mass Spectrometry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Nano-electrospray ionization (nESI) technology emerged in the mid-1980s, initially relying on manually fabricated glass capillary emitters with micron-sized internal diameters.
• Early nESI offered enhanced sensitivity and reduced matrix effects for chemical analysis compared to conventional methods.
• The lack of commercial vendors for specialized emitters necessitated manual fabrication, limiting accessibility and reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To chronicle the development and commercialization of nano-electrospray ionization (nESI) technology, specifically the ESI Chip and NanoMate system.
• To highlight the technological advancements that transitioned nESI from manual fabrication to automated, chip-based platforms.
• To illustrate the impact of these innovations on expanding scientific research capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Development of micro-fabricated silicon-based ESI Chip arrays with integrated dielectric layers for enhanced electric field formation.
• Commercialization of the ESI Chip coupled with the NanoMate robot for automated, high-throughput sample introduction.
• Application of the developed technology in diverse scientific fields, including protein interactions, structure, lipidomics, and drug metabolism.

Main Results:

• The ESI Chip provided an electric field comparable to pulled glass emitters but with a larger outer diameter, facilitating integration into automated systems.
• The NanoMate system enabled automated, reproducible nano-electrospray of 96 samples, significantly increasing throughput and reliability.
• The commercialized technology expanded the application scope of nESI in various scientific domains, driving new discoveries.

Conclusions:

• The evolution from manual fabrication to chip-based, automated nano-electrospray systems represents a significant leap in analytical instrumentation.
• The ESI Chip and NanoMate system democratized and advanced the use of nESI, enabling robust and sensitive analyses.
• These technological advancements have profoundly impacted fields such as proteomics, lipidomics, and drug metabolism, facilitating deeper scientific understanding.