Registration, Training and Booking of Instrumentation

To use the facility, you must be registered as a user and attend an introductory session on the Mass Spectrometry Facility.

Mass Spectrometry Registration Form

Please fill in the online form to register your interest in using the mass spectrometry facility.

An introductory session for the mass spectrometry facility is held every Tuesday and Thursday at 11 am in LG11.

The facility is equipped with five open-access instruments:

Shimadzu 8030 MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer
Waters UPLC connected to SQD mass detector
Waters UPLC connected to SQD2 mass detector
Accela LC connected to LTQ mass spectrometer
Agilent 6530 QTOF LC-MS/MS

Please email us detailed information about your application. We will then arrange a meeting to discuss your specific requirements and schedule a one-on-one training session on the use of a mass spectrometry instrument. During this session, we will establish the protocols for mass spectrometry analysis pertinent to your application. The training session, including a safety induction, will take approximately 1-2 hours for both MALDI and LC-MS. This training is open to PhD students and staff members of UCL.

Training Prerequisites

Mass spectrometry (MS) equipment is a significant investment (nearly £500K each), carries electrical hazards, and operates under high vacuum conditions. Therefore, no Chemistry MS instruments should be switched off without the explicit permission of the Mass Spectrometry Manager.

Users must strictly follow established protocols when preparing samples for MS analysis or submitting their samples.

Initially, you will receive training on the Waters UPLC-SQD2 and Waters UPLC-SQD instruments. Once you have gained sufficient experience, the mass spectrometry manager will train you on the Agilent 6530 QTOF LC-MS/MS and Shimadzu 6530 MALDI systems.

Improvisation with open-access instrumentation is strictly forbidden, as it can result in damage to the equipment.

Please review the following guidelines thoroughly before attending your MS training session.

Your sample

To avoid instrument downtime, please use only LC-MS vials and caps provided by the mass spectrometry laboratory. You can obtain these from LG11—please take a whole pack of 100 vials and caps and record the number of packs taken in the consumables logbook.

Avoid attaching paper labels or anything else to the LC-MS vials. For small volume samples, please use Thermo LC vials and caps available from the mass spectrometry lab.

sample_preparation_protocol_for_uplc-sqd_ms.pdf

If the instrument is not functioning correctly, if you encounter any issues or have questions regarding the MS equipment, or if an LC vial breaks inside the instrument, please do not leave the mass spectrometry laboratory without informing the Mass Spectrometry Manager. If this occurs in the absence of a staff member, please email the Mass Spectrometry Manager immediately at kersti.karu@ucl.ac.uk

Booking the instrument time

Only trained and registered users, who have been nominated by their supervisor and approved by the Mass Spectrometry Manager, are permitted to book instrument time, access the mass spectrometry laboratory, and operate the MS equipment.

To book an instrument time slot (including weekdays and weekends), please use the booking system provided below.