Abstract: The present invention provides porous mineral oxide beads which have large pore volumes and enhanced stability. The beads are based on a tetravalent metal oxide, such as zirconia, titania or hafnia. These highly porous beads are produced from a mixture of tetravalent mineral oxides, mineral pore inducing agents which are oxides or salts of trivalent metals, and optional binders. The porous mineral beads can be filled with a polymer gel and used for adsorption and chromatography applications.

Abstract: A pseudobioaffinity chromatography adsorbent adapted for use in selectively adsorbing immunoglobulins. In one embodiment, the adsorbent includes: (a) a solid support material; and (b) a ligand immobilized on the surface of the solid support material, said ligand being a compound of the formula wherein Y1 is selected from the group consisting of S, SCH3+, O, NH, NCH3, CH2 and CR1R2 wherein at least one of R1 and R2 is not hydrogen; wherein each of Y2, Y3 and Y4 is selected from the group consisting of N, NCH3+, CH, and CR wherein R is not hydrogen; and wherein at least two of Y1, Y2, Y3 and Y4 are neither CH2, CH, CR nor CR1R2.

Abstract: A new adsorbent of a porous mineral oxide material with apatite crystals, preferably hydroxyapatite crystals, in the pores of the mineral oxide material is disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides a water-swellable hydrophobic hydrogel and analytical devices incorporating the hydrogel of the invention. Also provided are methods of using the hydrogel to prepare the analytical devices and methods of using the analytical devices to detect, quantitate and discriminate between analytes in a sample. Moreover, the invention provides kits that include components of a hydrogel and instructions for making a chip with a hydrophobic surface.

Abstract: A method and system of detecting mass to charge ratio of ions. The method includes producing charged ions in a vacuum, accelerating the charged ions in an electric field into a free flight tube and detecting the charged ions at a detector associated with the free flight tube. A control system selects a bandwidth for filtering a signal produced by the detector and the signal produced by the detector is then filtered with a variable width digital filter based upon the selected bandwidth. The bandwidth for filtering the signal may be selected from a look-up table within the control system based upon the mass to charge ratio of an ion of interest. Alternatively, a peak bandwidth within the signal produced by the detector may be determined and the signal produced by the detector may then be filtered with the variable width digital filter based upon the determined peak bandwidth.

Abstract: This invention provides methods of retentate chromatography for resolving analytes in a sample. The methods involve adsorbing the analytes to a substrate under a plurality of different selectivity conditions, and detecting the analytes retained on the substrate by desorption spectrometry. The methods are useful in biology and medicine, including clinical diagnostics and drug discovery.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a time-of-flight mass spectrometer is disclosed. The method includes determining the time-of-flight values, or values derived from the time-of-flight values for a calibration substance at each of a plurality of different addressable locations on a sample substrate. Then, one of the addressable locations on the substrate is identified as a reference addressable location. A plurality correction factors are then calculated for the respective addressable locations on the substrate using the time-of-flight value, or a value derived from the time-of-flight value.

Abstract: This invention provides a mass spectrometry probe including a substrate having a surface and a film that coats the surface. The film includes openings that define features for the presentation of an analyte. The film also has a lower surface tension that the surface tension of the substrate surface, and has a water contact angle between 120° and 180°.

Abstract: Laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectrometer instruments that include immediate post source collisional cooling are presented, as are analytical methods that employ such instruments to achieve increased sensitivity and ion yield. Also presented are laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry methods that improve sensitivity and relative ion yield by combining affinity capture probes with matrices having low melting point energy absorbing molecules combined with alkali metal scavengers.

Abstract: This invention provides methods of retentate chromatography for resolving analytes in a sample. The methods involve adsorbing the analytes to a substrate under a plurality of different selectivity conditions, and detecting the analytes retained on the substrate by desorption spectrometry. The methods are useful in biology and medicine, including clinical diagnostics and drug discovery.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of monitoring the production of a target polypeptide by generating surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectral profiles of samples taken from multiple cell culture batches or of samples taken at different times from a given batch. The invention additionally provides methods for monitoring the purification of a target polypeptide from a mixture by generating surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectral profiles of samples taken at various times during a purification process. In addition, the invention relates to methods of identifying conditions that can be used in increasing the scale of a given purification process.

Abstract: This invention provides a mass spectrometry probe including a substrate having a surface and a film that coats the surface. The film includes openings that define features for the presentation of an analyte. The film also has a lower surface tension that the surface tension of the substrate surface, and has a water contact angle between 120° and 180°.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods for comparing the relative amounts of biomolecules and identifying biomolecules in samples using affinity tags and mass spectrometry.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a time-of-flight mass spectrometer is disclosed. The method includes determining the time-of-flight values, or values derived from the time-of-flight values for a calibration substance at each of a plurality of different addressable locations on a sample substrate. Then, one of the addressable locations on the substrate is identified as a reference addressable location. A plurality correction factors are then calculated for the respective addressable locations on the substrate using the time-of-flight value, or a value derived from the time-of-flight value.

Abstract: A method for processing time-dependent signal data is disclosed. The time-dependent signal data are received in a memory, wherein the time-dependent signal data represent a time-dependent signal, and wherein the time-dependent signal data include representations of time-of-flight values of ions, or values derived from time-of-flight values of ions. The time-dependent signal data are scaled with a time-dependent scaling function.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for correlating gene and protein expression in a cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides an adsorbent chip, which includes three components, a substrate, an intermediate layer of linker arms and an adsorbent film, which is attached to the linker arms. The adsorbent film is made up of a plurality of adsorbent particles, each of which includes a binding functionality. The invention also provides a method of making the chips of the invention in which the substrate-intermediate film cassette is formed and the adsorbent film is subsequently immobilized thereon. When the adsorbent film is from the same preparation across a particular batch of chips, the chips provide for the acquisition of data that are highly reproducible from one chip to the next throughout the particular batch of chips. Additionally, the invention provides methods for using the chips to perform assays.

Abstract: The present invention provides an adsorbent chip, which includes three components, a substrate, an intermediate layer of linker arms and an adsorbent film, which is attached to the linker arms. The adsorbent film is made up of a plurality of adsorbent particles, each of which includes a binding functionality. The invention also provides a method of making the chips of the invention in which the substrate-intermediate film cassette is formed and the adsorbent film is subsequently immobilized thereon. When the adsorbent film is from the same preparation across a particular batch of chips, the chips provide for the acquisition of data that are highly reproducible from one chip to the next throughout the particular batch of chips. Additionally, the invention provides methods for using the chips to perform assays.

Abstract: Device and method for processing samples are provided. A first multiwell plate is stacked atop a second multiwell plate. The first multiwell plate has x wells arranged in an array, each well is capable of receiving a sample and has an outlet. The second multiwell plate has y wells arranged in an array, each well being capable of receiving a separate sample. y>x. The outlets of the first multiwell plate register with inlets of a subset of wells of the second multiwell plate when the first plate is stacked atop the second plate. Also provided are a mechanism for aligning the plates and transfer indicia for tracking transfer of sample from the first to the second plate. A mechanism for sealing the first plate to the second plate is provided so that samples can be directly transferred between the plates without cross-contamination occurring in open wells of the second plate.

Abstract: Presented are novel apparatus and methods for protein characterization, identification, and sequencing using affinity capture laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectrometry.