Mass Spectrometry

Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Tandem mass spectrometry involves multiple steps of mass selection or analysis, usually separated by some form of fragmentation. It is simply a matter of reading Mass Spectrometry value from the spectrum. A tandem mass spectrometer is one capable of multiple rounds of understanding mass spectrometry. For example, one mass analyzer can isolate one peptide from many entering a mass spectrometer. A second mass analyzer then stabilizes the peptide ions while they collide with a gas, causing them to fragment by collision-induced dissociation (CID). A third mass analyzer then catalogues the fragments produced from the peptides. Tandem MS can also be done in a single mass analyzer over time as in a quadrupole ion trap. There are various methods for fragmenting molecules for tandem MS, including collision-induced dissociation (CID), electron capture dissociation (ECD), infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) and blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD).