Welcome to the Mass Spectrometry facility at CU Boulder

The Central Analytical Laboratory at the University of Colorado at Boulder serves as a resource offering analytical and instructional expertise in mass spectrometric techniques and instrumentation. We offer a wide selection of mass spectral services to the research community within the University system and at-large with the aim of providing scientists with practical training and access to the state-of-the-art instrumentation they need to develop and meet their research interests.

The facility, located on the second floor of the Ekeley building, currently houses nine mass spectrometry systems that provide unique and complementary mass spectrometry capabilities in both the ionization and the dissociation of a broad range of molecules. The following categories of service are available:

• Low Resolution EI, CI, MALDI, ESI:
  Low Resolution analysis of gases, liquids, and solids.

• High Resolution EI, CI, MALDI, ESI:
  High Resolution accurate mass measurement coupled with empirical formula or amino acid determination Molecular weight confirmation.

• GC-MS, Low Resolution EI, CI:
  Gas Chromatographic (GC) capillary column separation combined with low resolution mass spectral analysis.

• LC-MS, Low Resolution ESI:
  Liquid Chromatographic (LC) separation combined with low resolution mass spectral analysis.

• Low Resolution LC-MS and LC-MS/MS:
  LC separation coupled with the selected ion monitoring using tandem mass analyzers (MS/MS).

• LC-MS/MS Structure Elucidation:
  Use of collision induced dissociation (CID) in product ion, precursor ion, or neutral loss scanning analysis.

• Intact Protein and Peptide Molecular Weight and Purity Determinations:
  ESI or MALDI on Quadrupole-TOF or trap spectrometers analysis.

• Sequencing of Peptides and Proteins and Database Search:
  Proteins in-gel digestions and individual digests identification by LC-MS/MS analysis.