The Mass spectrometry Center core facility is a part of the International Center for Chemical & Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi.It was established in 1975 and includesa wide range ofadvanced mass spectrometry and chromatographic equipment. The facility supports various mass spectrometry-based experiments such as natural product identifications and characterization, metabolomics, proteomics and protein identification, metal identification and quantifications etc.

This facility primarily serves the needs of the ICCBS, however, it also provides fee-based services to the research community at large to both industrial and academic institutions all over Pakistan working in the field of organic and organometallic synthesis, isolation and characterization of natural products, standardization of herbal medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, protein chemistry, biomarker discovery, natural and synthetic polymers, forensics, analytical chemistry, nanomaterials, and environmental sciences,etc.

The core facility staff take part in comprehensive training programsfor the practical usage of mass spectrometry. The advice in sample preparation, assistance in data analysis and interpretation is also provided to the students and researchers regarding each of the instruments available in the facility.
 

INSTRUMENTATION:

  
The Centre of Mass Spectrometry offers a unique combination and breadth of instrumentation:

• MaXis II ESI–QTOF Ultra High-Resolution Mass Spectrometer with ESI, APCI, and Nano Captive Spray ion sources (Bruker Daltonics) coupled to interchangeable Analytical and Nano UPLCs (Thermo/Dionex)

• amaZon speed ion trap low-Resolution Mass Spectrometer (Bruker Daltonics) coupled to interchangeable Analytical HPLC (Thermo/Dionex)

• 7890A GC-MS/MS Triple Quad system with both EI and CI Ion sources (Agilent technologies)

• UltraFlex III MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS (Bruker Daltonics)

• 7890A LC-MS/MS Triple Quad system (Agilent technologies)

• 7700 ICP-MS (Agilent technologies)

• MicroHPLC (Agilent technologies)

• JMS Route 600H ( Jeol)

Following mass spectrometric analysis can be requested for purified and complex samples:

• El-MS analysis (Low Resolutionand High Resolution)

• CI-MS analysis

• GC-MS analysis and GC-MS-MS analysis

• FAB-MS analysis (Low Resolution and High Resolution)

• MALDI-MS and MALDI-MS/MS analysis

• ESI-MS and ESI-MS/MS analysis (Low Resolution and High Resolution)

• LC-MS and LC-MS/MS analysis

• ICP-MS analysis

Students and researchers can make use of the following programs and libraries for data analysis and interpretation:

• NIST Mass spectral libraries version 2.2

• Mascot Search Engine version 2.6

• Metaboscape Server version 3.0.2

• Proteinscape Server version 4.0.0