With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Acquisition Program, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Memphis will acquire a Linear Ion Trap Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer/Mass Spectrometer system (LC-MS system). The instrument will be used for metabolite identification and structural elucidation analysis in complex mixtures ranging from water disinfection reactions to protein labeling samples.
Liquid chromatography followed by mass spectrometric detection is a powerful tool for analyzing biologically interesting samples. This technique first separates a complex mixture of typically non-volatile compounds into its components. The components are ionized in the mass spectrometer. The spectrometer provides the molecular mass of the components and structural information that can elucidate metabolic pathways and biological mechanisms. Graduate and undergraduate students will have hands-on access and training in the use of this instrument. Undergraduate chemistry majors will use it in an instrumental analysis course.
