<p><strong>An international team led by researchers at CEITEC Masaryk University has, for the very first time, discovered that the tick-borne encephalitis virus is not as perfectly arranged as previously thought. Its surface contains areas where part of the protein coat is missing, leaving the viral membrane exposed. This incompleteness revealed that the rearrangement of surface proteins during viral maturation does not start simultaneously across the particle, but begins at a single point and then gradually spreads over the rest of the viral coat. The finding also suggests that the same principles apply to the entire group of flaviviruses, including dengue, Zika, and yellow fever viruses.</strong></p><p>Using <strong>cryo-electron microscopy and electron tomography</strong>, the researchers observed thousands of tick-borne encephalitis virus particles and found that many deviate significantly from the idealized textbook model. <i>“Flaviviruses are often depicted in textbooks as perfectly symmetrical particles. Our data, however, show that many immature and mature viral particles have <strong>exposed regions</strong> where part of the protein coat is missing. These imperfections helped us better understand how these viruses assemble and mature,”</i> says <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ceitec.eu/tibor-fuezik-ph-d/u89386?page=publication"><strong>Tibor Füzik</strong></a><strong> from CEITEC Masaryk University (MUNI), lead investigator of the study</strong>. The arrangement of surface proteins at the edges of these exposed areas indicates that the coat of immature particles assembles step by step from individual proteins. New data further suggest that the rearrangement into a mature structure also occurs gradually, starting from a randomly formed center and expanding by adding individual protein units along its edges.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/CEITEC_Virus_klistove_encefalitidy_vedce_prekvapil_objevili_lysiny_v_jeho_obalu_2_4bdbba825f.jpg" alt="CEITEC/Plevka Lab: Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus Surprises Scientists: “Gaps” Discovered in Its Protein Coat: Immature (left) and mature (right) envelopes of tick-borne encephalitis virus particles contain disordered regions that expose the viral membrane." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_CEITEC_Virus_klistove_encefalitidy_vedce_prekvapil_objevili_lysiny_v_jeho_obalu_2_4bdbba825f.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1600" height="834"></p><p>Some parts of the viral surface proteins are normally hidden because they fit tightly together, making them difficult for antibodies to access. When part of the virus is not fully covered, these normally hidden protein regions are exposed, allowing antibodies – molecules used by the immune system to recognize and neutralize viruses – to attach. The discovery thus helps explain why some antibodies can effectively neutralize the virus, even though their target sites were previously thought to be inaccessible.</p><p>According to the study’s authors, this principle may not be limited to the tick-borne encephalitis virus. <i>“We believe that similar rules of assembly and maturation may also apply to other flaviviruses, such as dengue, Zika, or yellow fever viruses, which cause millions of infections worldwide each year,”</i> adds<strong> </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ceitec.eu/pavel-plevka-ph-d/u26854"><strong>Pavel Plevka</strong></a><strong>, head of the research group at CEITEC MUNI</strong>.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/CEITEC_Virus_klistove_encefalitidy_vedce_prekvapil_objevili_lysiny_v_jeho_obalu_06e750b1c0.jpg" alt="CEITEC/Plevka Lab: Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus Surprises Scientists: “Gaps” Discovered in Its Protein Coat: Tomographic analysis of tick-borne encephalitis virus particles shows irregularly shaped viral particles." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_CEITEC_Virus_klistove_encefalitidy_vedce_prekvapil_objevili_lysiny_v_jeho_obalu_06e750b1c0.jpg 235w," sizes="100vw" width="1600" height="1067"></p><p>Thanks to these new insights into<strong> how flaviviruses assemble and mature into their infectious form</strong>, scientists can better understand how the immune system recognizes viral particles and use this knowledge to inform the future development of antivirals or vaccines.</p><p>The research was conducted in collaboration with scientific teams from the <strong>University of Helsinki </strong>and the <strong>Faculty of Science at Masaryk University</strong>.</p><p>The study was published in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aee4765"><strong>Science Advances</strong></a>.</p><blockquote><h4><strong>The original article</strong></h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aee4765"><strong>Structures of asymmetric particles of tick-borne encephalitis virus provide insight into flavivirus assembly and maturation</strong></a></h4><p>Tibor Füzik, Maria Anastasina, Peter Pajtinka, Ausra Domanska, Lauri L. A. Pulkkinen, Lenka Smerdová, Lucie Nepovímová, Petra Formanová-Pokorná, Petra Straková, Jiří Nováček, Daniel Růžek, Robert Vácha, Sarah J. Butcher, Pavel Plevka</p><p><i><strong>Sci. Adv., 2026, 12, eaee4765</strong></i></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aee4765"><span>https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aee4765</span></a></p><h6>licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"><strong>CC-BY 4.0</strong></a></h6></blockquote><h4><strong>Abstract</strong></h4><p>Flaviviruses are globally distributed human pathogens. However, the mechanisms underlying flavivirus assembly and maturation remain poorly understood. Here, we show that many particles of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) are asymmetric and lack subsets of surface heterodimers. Immature particles of TBEV contain incomplete spikes, providing evidence that their coats assemble directly from heterodimers of premembrane (prM) and envelope (E) proteins. Exposure of TBEV particles to acidic pH in the Golgi complex promotes maturation. The spikes and herringbone regions in TBEV maturation intermediates are oriented randomly rather than conforming to a common icosahedral symmetry. Consequently, the mature herringbone lattice forms around a randomly oriented nucleation center, expanding by addition of membrane-envelope heterodimers as the spikes disassemble and prMs are cleaved. The observed incompleteness of the protein coats explains, as an alternative to particle breathing, how flaviviruses can be neutralized by antibodies that bind to regions of E proteins normally inaccessible in the spiky or herringbone structures.</p>

 Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus Surprises Scientists: “Gaps” Discovered in Its Protein Coat 

<p><strong>From environmental mandates to pharmaceutical breakthroughs, SPE has become the cornerstone of modern sample preparation.</strong></p><p>Walk into any modern analytical laboratory — pharmaceutical QC, environmental monitoring, food safety, forensics — and you will almost certainly find <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.organomation.com/what-is-solid-phase-extraction-spe"><strong>solid phase extraction (SPE) </strong></a>at the heart of the sample preparation workflow. That is not a coincidence. Over the past decade, SPE has grown from a specialized cleanup technique into the dominant extraction method in laboratory science, and the forces accelerating its adoption are only intensifying.</p><p>At Organomation, we work alongside scientists who depend on reliable sample preparation every day. In this article, we explore why SPE has earned its leading position, where the market is heading, and what emerging application areas are putting new demands on SPE technology.</p><p>Responsible for roughly half of all lab extraction, SPE is the primary<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.organomation.com/solvent-extraction-techniques"><strong> solvent extraction technique</strong></a> being adopted by laboratories in 2026.</p><h3><strong>The Fundamentals: What Makes SPE So Versatile?</strong></h3><p>Solid phase extraction is a preparative liquid technique that uses a solid stationary phase — typically silica, polymeric resins, or carbon-based sorbents packed into cartridges or columns — to selectively trap analytes of interest from complex sample matrices. Once retained on the sorbent, interferences can be washed away and the target compounds eluted in a concentrated, clean fraction ready for downstream analysis.</p><p>What sets SPE apart from competing techniques is its extraordinary versatility. The same fundamental workflow can be adapted for hydrophobic small molecules, polar pesticides, charged biomolecules, metal ions, and persistent environmental contaminants like PFAS — all by swapping the sorbent chemistry. This flexibility, combined with well-established protocols and vendor support across a mature market, means laboratories can standardize on SPE as a platform and customize it per application.</p><h3><strong>The LC-MS/MS Connection: Protecting Your Most Valuable Instrument</strong></h3><p>No single factor has done more to cement SPE's importance than the explosive growth of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.organomation.com/preparing-samples-for-lc-ms/ms-analysis"><strong>LC-MS/MS</strong></a>) in pharmaceutical, clinical, and environmental laboratories. Tandem mass spectrometers are extraordinarily sensitive instruments — and extraordinarily sensitive to contamination.</p><p>Matrix components such as phospholipids, salts, proteins, and co-extracted organic matter can suppress ionization, foul ion sources, and produce false positives that invalidate entire analytical runs. SPE addresses this problem directly by leveraging electrostatic, hydrophobic, and hydrogen bonding interactions to purify and pre-concentrate analytes before they ever reach the instrument. The result is cleaner chromatography, better signal-to-noise ratios, and longer instrument lifespans — all of which translate into real cost savings and better data quality.</p><p>For laboratories running high-throughput quantitative assays — therapeutic drug monitoring, environmental contaminant panels, metabolomics studies — SPE is not optional. It is the critical gatekeeper that makes the downstream analysis possible.</p><h3><strong>The Automation Wave: Doing More with Less</strong></h3><p>If the LC-MS/MS partnership explains why SPE became essential, automation explains why it is growing. Laboratory staffing pressures, increasing sample volumes, and zero-tolerance regulatory environments are forcing labs to rethink manual workflows. SPE, historically a hands-on technique, has been at the forefront of this transformation.</p><h4><strong>Online SPE Systems</strong></h4><p>Modern online SPE platforms couple extraction directly with HPLC, eliminating the offline sample preparation step entirely. In these configurations, the SPE column is integrated into the chromatographic flow path, and sample loading, washing, and elution occur automatically within the analytical run cycle. This approach dramatically reduces analyst time per sample, minimizes the risk of sample loss or contamination during transfer, and enables faster turnaround in high-throughput environments.</p><h4><strong>Multi-Channel Automated Systems</strong></h4><p>At the high-throughput end of the market, automated multi-channel SPE systems allow laboratories to process eight samples simultaneously — each channel independently controlled — with positive-pressure delivery that applies consistent, programmable flow rates across every sample. The reproducibility gains are significant: automated systems eliminate the variability introduced by individual analyst technique, which is particularly important in regulated environments where method validation requirements are strict.</p><p>Organomation partner PromoChrom Technologies offers two compelling examples of this category. The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blog.organomation.com/blog/promochrom-extraction-and-organomation-evaporation-for-epa-pfas-methods"><strong>SPE-03</strong></a>, PromoChrom's established 8-channel workhorse, uses a patented flow-path-integration valve to control all eight channels through a single compact module — enabling parallel processing, drying the cartridge with nitrogen, solvent mixing, and automated bottle rinsing without the bulk of traditional robotic liquid handlers. The newer Presto system pushes throughput further still, with built-in continuous pumps capable of loading eight one-liter water samples in approximately 20 minutes, making it particularly well suited to large-volume environmental extractions. Both systems run fully unattended after setup, requiring only a few minutes of analyst involvement per batch.</p><h3><strong>The PFAS Mandate: A Regulatory Catalyst for SPE Innovation</strong></h3><p>Perhaps the most consequential near-term driver for SPE technology investment is the global regulatory focus on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blog.organomation.com/blog/the-importance-of-detecting-per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas"><strong>per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances</strong></a>, better known as PFAS or "forever chemicals." These synthetic compounds, used in everything from firefighting foam to non-stick cookware, have proven extraordinarily persistent in the environment — and increasingly, regulators are demanding that laboratories detect them at trace levels in complex matrices.</p><h4><strong>The U.S. Regulatory Picture</strong></h4><p>In April 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the first nationally enforceable<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.faegredrinker.com/en/insights/publications/2025/1/year-in-review-2024-federal-pfas-roundup"><strong> drinking water standards for six PFAS compounds</strong></a>, establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) as low as<strong> 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS</strong>. The rule is expected to reduce PFAS exposure for approximately <strong>100 million Americans</strong>. Simultaneously, the EPA finalized new test methods — including Method 1633, which tests for 40 PFAS across wastewater, groundwater, soil, sediment, and fish tissue — that are already shaping laboratory practice nationwide.</p><p>While the EPA announced in<strong> May 2025</strong> that it intends to retain MCLs for PFOA and PFOS while reconsidering standards for four additional PFAS, the fundamental demand for sensitive PFAS testing infrastructure remains strong. Compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS have been extended to 2031, giving water utilities time to invest in testing and treatment — and sustaining demand for high-quality analytical methods throughout that period.</p><h4><strong>What PFAS Analysis Demands of SPE</strong></h4><p>PFAS analysis at parts-per-trillion concentrations in drinking water, wastewater, soil, and food matrices is among the most demanding applications in environmental chemistry. Interference from co-extractants is severe, and background contamination from PFAS in laboratory plasticware and solvents must be meticulously controlled. Vendors have responded by developing specialized SPE media engineered specifically for PFAS capture and cleanup — including stacked cartridge designs that layer multiple sorbent chemistries to handle the full range of PFAS compound classes in a single pass. These application-specific products represent a new tier of SPE innovation driven directly by regulatory pressure.</p><h3><strong>Why more labs will continue to adopt SPE</strong></h3><p>The global SPE market continues to expand, driven by intersecting forces across pharmaceutical, environmental, food safety, and forensic laboratories. Several application trends stand out as particularly important drivers of new SPE adoption and innovation.</p><h4><strong>Pharmaceutical and Biotech Expansion</strong></h4><p>Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical QC represent the most mature and demanding SPE application areas. Complex biological matrices — plasma, urine, tissue homogenates — require aggressive cleanup to remove phospholipids, proteins, and endogenous interferences before LC-MS/MS quantitation. Tightening regulatory standards for drug safety and the rapid growth of biotherapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies and cell and gene therapy products, are pushing sorbent development into novel territory with hybrid mixed-mode chemistries and size-selective media gaining ground.</p><h4><strong>Environmental Monitoring Intensification</strong></h4><p>Environmental monitoring is an area of intense growth for SPE. Beyond PFAS, labs are contending with expanding panels of emerging contaminants including microplastics, endocrine disruptors, and pharmaceutical residues in surface and groundwater. Each new contaminant class brings its own matrix challenges — pH sensitivities, competing co-extractants, low log P values — that drive the development of new sorbent chemistries and method-specific SPE products.</p><h4><strong>Food Safety and Forensics</strong></h4><p>Food safety laboratories are under continuous pressure to detect lower levels of mycotoxins, veterinary drug residues, pesticides, and processing contaminants in increasingly complex matrices — grain products, dairy, beverages, seafood. Forensic toxicology, meanwhile, faces growing caseloads driven by opioid testing, workplace drug screening, and poisoning investigations, all of which rely on SPE for the sample cleanup that makes definitive LC-MS/MS confirmation possible.</p><h4><strong>Greener SPE</strong></h4><p>An emerging trend worth watching is the development of more environmentally sustainable SPE consumables. Biodegradable SPE columns designed to reduce plastic waste in single-use applications — responding to mounting pressure from green chemistry initiatives and laboratory sustainability programs. As laboratories face increasing scrutiny of their environmental footprint, sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic cartridges may gain significant traction.</p><h3><strong>How Organomation Supports Your SPE Workflow</strong></h3><p>Organomation has built its reputation on evaporation and concentration instruments that work directly downstream of SPE — precisely the sample preparation workflow where SPE's pre-concentration efficiency is most valuable. After analytes are eluted from SPE cartridges, they typically need to be reconstituted in a small volume of compatible solvent before injection. That is where Organomation's nitrogen evaporators, the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/2408"><strong>N-EVAP </strong></a>and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/2417"><strong>MULTIVAP</strong></a> series deliver consistent, reproducible results at the speed modern laboratories demand.</p><p>Whether your laboratory is developing PFAS methods to meet new EPA requirements, processing high-volume pharmaceutical QC samples, or building out an environmental monitoring program, our team understands the complete sample preparation workflow — and is available to help you select the right evaporation and concentration solution for your specific application.&nbsp;</p>

Why Solid Phase Extraction Is Having Its Moment

<p><strong>Our Library never stops expanding. What are the most recent contributions to LabRulezLCMS Library in the week of 10th August 2026? Check out new documents from the field of liquid phase, especially HPLC and LC/MS techniques!</strong></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:20px;">👉 </span><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library"><span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>SEARCH THE LARGEST REPOSITORY OF DOCUMENTS ABOUT LCMS AND RELATED TECHNIQUES</strong></span></a></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><strong>👉 Need info about different analytical techniques?</strong> Peek into <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/library"><strong>LabRulezGCMS</strong></a> or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/library"><strong>LabRulezICPMS</strong></a> libraries.</p></blockquote><p>This week we bring you posters by <strong>Agilent Technologies / ASMS, Thermo Fisher Scientific / ASMS </strong>and<strong> Waters Corporation / ASMS </strong>and application notes by<strong> Metrohm and Shimadzu!</strong></p><h3><strong>1. Agilent Technologies / ASMS: Impurity Monitoring of GLP-1 Therapeutic Peptide RetatrutideUsing a 2D-LC/TOF System</strong></h3><ul><li>Poster</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/glp_1_impurity_monitoring_2d_lc_tof_asms_2026_mp_388_agilent_eadce3f244.pdf"><strong>Full PDF for download</strong></a></li></ul><p>Retatrutide is a next-generation triple agonist (GLP1/GIP/glucagon) and an emerging candidate among multivalent GLP1–based therapeutics. Its structural complexity and diverse impurity profile challenge conventional one-dimensional LC methods, which often lack sufficient resolving power to separate closely related impurities, sequence variants, and synthetic byproducts.&nbsp;</p><p>In this study, we demonstrate an Agilent multiple heart-cutting 2D-LC platform that enables rapid online solvent exchange and enhanced chromatographic selectivity, allowing targeted isolation of impurity peaks from a TFA-based first-dimension separation. When coupled with the Agilent 6230C Accurate Mass TOF LC/MS system, the workflow delivers fast, sensitive, and accurate mass profiling under MS-friendly second-dimension conditions, providing a robust solution for comprehensive impurity characterization of GLP-1 peptides such as Retatrutide.</p><h4><strong>Experimental</strong></h4><h5><strong>Instrumentation&nbsp;</strong></h5><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?instrumentationItems=39&amp;mainauthorItems=10&amp;search=1290+infinity+III+2D-LC"><strong>Agilent 1290 Infinity III 2D-LC system</strong></a><strong> comprised the following modules:&nbsp;</strong><ul><li>1290 Infinity III Bio Multisampler with Thermostat (G7137A)&nbsp;</li><li>1290 Infinity III Multicolumn Thermostat (G7116B)&nbsp;</li><li>1290 Infinity III Diode Array Detector (G7117B) with Max-Light cartridge cell (G7117-60020)&nbsp;</li><li>1260 Infinity III Bio Flexible Pump (G7131C)&nbsp;</li><li>1290 Infinity III Bio High-speed Pump (G7132A)&nbsp;</li><li>1290 Infinity Valve Drive (G1170A) with 2D-LC ASM Valve (G5643B)&nbsp;</li><li>Two 1290 Infinity III Valve Drives (G1170A) with multiple heart-cutting valves (G5642-64000) equipped with 40 µL Bio loops&nbsp;</li></ul></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?mainauthorItems=10&amp;search=6230C"><strong>Agilent 6230C Accurate Mass TOF LC/MS System</strong></a></li></ul><h4><strong>Conclusions</strong></h4><p>Agilent 2D-LC with multiple heart-cutting effectively bridges TFA-driven chromatographic performance with FA-compatible MS detection, overcoming ion suppression limitations.&nbsp;</p><p>The integrated 2D-LC/Accurate Mass TOF workflow delivers confident impurity identification and robust characterization, supporting peptide analysis in both QA/QC and development environments.</p><h3><strong>2. Metrohm: Vinylene carbonate water determination via coulometric Karl Fischer titration</strong></h3><p><strong>Water determination in vinylene carbonate by Karl Fischer coulometric titration made simple with alcohol-free reagents</strong></p><ul><li>Application note</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/an_k_076_download_8658665940.pdf"><strong>Full PDF for download</strong></a></li></ul><p>Vinylene carbonate (vc) is commonly used as a battery electrolyte additive in lithium-ion batteries. Its popularity is due to the positive impact it has on anode cyclability and reduction of irreversible capacity. Small amounts of moisture in Li-ion batteries can significantly decrease performance and lifetime. Therefore, moisture levels in electrolyte solutions and their additives are controlled for use in manufacturing. Until recent years, accurate moisture quantification in vinylene carbonate samples was difficult due to side reactions. With the commercial development of alcohol-free coulometric Karl Fischer reagents, accurate determination is now much more accessible to end-users.</p><h4><strong>EXPERIMENTAL</strong></h4><p>This analysis was performed using an <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?mainauthorItems=220&amp;search=852+titrando"><strong>852 Titrando</strong></a> (2.852.0060) instrument, equipped with the electrodes listed in Table 1.</p><h4><strong>CONCLUSION&nbsp;</strong></h4><p>During battery manufacturing, control of all moisture present is important to guarantee adequate performance in the finished product. More easily quantifying the moisture contribution from additives such as vinylene carbonate makes this a much simpler task. The introduction of alcohol-free Karl Fischer reagents accomplishes this effectively, allowing the generation of accurate and repeatable moisture data—even for a difficult sample matrix.</p><h3><strong>3. Shimadzu: Non-Targeted Analysis of Metabolites in Alcoholic Beverages Using LabSolutions Insight Profiler</strong></h3><ul><li>Application note</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/an_01_01241_en_57b43edb57.pdf"><strong>Full PDF for download</strong></a></li></ul><h5><strong>User Benefits</strong></h5><ul><li>Using an LC-QTOFMS system with LabSolutions Insight Profiler non-targeted analysis software enables comprehensive comparative analysis of metabolites in food samples.&nbsp;</li><li>Principal component analysis and volcano plots can be used to detect characteristic features in each sample.&nbsp;</li><li>A variety of functions, including MS/MS spectral library searching, enable easy qualitative analysis of components.</li></ul><p>Metabolomics, a technique that analyzes metabolites in living organisms, is increasingly being applied in the food industry for product development and quality control. A particularly powerful approach is non-targeted metabolomics, which aims to analyze not only known metabolites but also unknown compounds without prior assumptions to reveal unexpected chemical differences between samples. Quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOFMS), with its accurate-mass capability, is well suited for this purpose. However, the large volume of generated data creates challenges for feature identification and data comparison.&nbsp;</p><p>This article presents a case study in which LabSolutions Insight Profiler, a software platform for non-targeted analysis, was used to characterize compounds in beer and beer-like beverages. Peak detection, retention-time alignment, and library searching were performed across multiple datasets. Multivariate analysisrevealed compound profiles that likely reflect the differences in raw materials and manufacturing processes, demonstrating the utility of the approach for beverage characterization.</p><h4><strong>LabSolutions Insight Profiler&nbsp;</strong></h4><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?mainauthorItems=1&amp;search=LabSolutions+Insight+Profiler"><strong>LabSolutions Insight Profiler </strong></a>is software for batch processing of LC-QTOFMS data that enables non-targeted analysis through an intuitive workflow. It readily supports easy spectral feature detection, alignment, statistical processing, filtering, list screening, MS/MS spectra-based library searching, principal component analysis (PCA), displaying volcano or box plots, and more. Fig. 1 shows the data analysis workflow.</p><h4><strong>Analysis Conditions&nbsp;</strong></h4><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?mainauthorItems=1&amp;search=nexera+X3"><strong>Nexera X3 UHPLC</strong></a> and<strong> </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?mainauthorItems=1&amp;search=9030"><strong>LCMS-9030 systems</strong></a> were used as the analytical instruments. The LC method included in the LC/MS/MS Method Package for Primary Metabolites was used as the method. The data-dependent acquisition (DDA) mode was used to simultaneously acquire precursor m/z and MS/MS data. Table 2 shows the analysis conditions.</p><h4><strong>Conclusion&nbsp;</strong></h4><p>In this study, compounds in various beer and beer-like beverages were analyzed by non-targeted analysis using an LCMS-9030 quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer system. Analyzing compounds characteristic of each sample with LabSolutions Insight Profiler software confirmed that the resulting profiles reflected differences in raw materials and manufacturing methods.&nbsp;</p><p>LabSolutions Insight Profiler enables efficient non-targeted analysis by processing LC-QTOFMS data with an intuitive workflow. This workflow allows for objective evaluation of the taste, quality, and nutritional value of food products. Furthermore, this method is applicable not only to the analysis of compounds in beverages but also to non-targeted analysis of other types of samples.</p><h3><strong>4. Thermo Fisher Scientific / ASMS: High throughput targeted proteomic workflows with Adaptive Retention Time on the </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/1959"><strong>Orbitrap Astral Zoom MS</strong></a></h3><ul><li>Poster</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/po_004699_lsms_art_astral_zoom_proteomics_po004699_asms2026_na_en_78767efdc9.pdf"><strong>Full PDF for download</strong></a></li></ul><p>Advances in MS instrumentation have accelerated the identification of biomarkers, but validating and translating these discoveries into assays for clinical use remains challenging and typically requires robust and accurate targeted approaches. While these often rely on predetermined reference target retention time (RT) windows, analytical column degradation or replacement, aging solvents, sample matrix effects, etc. can cause peptide RT shifts between injections and across longer-term analyses. To accommodate this, targeted MS experiments generally schedule wide target RT windows (&gt;1 min) or rely on heavy labeled peptides to trigger acquisition of endogenous peptides. Both greatly limit the number of quantifiable targets per assay. To overcome this, we utilize adaptive RT (aRT) alignment for live correction of RTs together with the speed and sensitivity of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/1959"><strong>Orbitrap Astral Zoom MS</strong></a>. This allows reproducible tracking of &gt;2000 targets with narrow RT windows, high throughputs, such as 300 samples per day (SPD), and hybrid workflows combining targeting, of up to 1000 targets, and discovery.</p><h4><strong>Materials and methods&nbsp;</strong></h4><h5><strong>LC-MS Experiments&nbsp;</strong></h5><p>Experiments were performed using Thermo Scientific Pierce HeLa protein digest resuspended in 0.1% TFA, or individual or pooled human plasma samples. Peptides were separated using a 15 cm Thermo Scientific PepMap analytical columns (150 µm inner diameter) and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/398"><strong>Thermo Scientific Vanquish Neo UHPLC system</strong></a> at throughputs of 60 or 300 SPD. The liquid chromatography (LC) system was interfaced with the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/1959"><strong>Orbitrap Astral Zoom MS.</strong></a> Reference runs using MS1 and/or data-independent-acquisition (DIA) scans were acquired to obtain reference aRT spectra, and to determine target RTs. For aRT alignment, methods consisting of aRT MS1 and/or DIA scans, as well as targeted MS2 scans with RT correction were optimized. For hybrid DIA workflows, we used aRT MS1 scans for reference acquisition and alignment, combined with narrow window DIA and a targeted MS2 experiment. Observed RT shifts were caused by natural column degradation, sample matrix effects or when indicated induced by variation in gradient flow rate and buffer composition.&nbsp;</p><h5><strong>Data analysis&nbsp;</strong></h5><p>Reference DIA data was analyzed using Spectronaut. Targets lists were then generated from the search output by selecting varying number of targets evenly distributed across the RT dimension. Target RTs for smaller scale assays were manually validated and exported from Skyline, while target RTs for large scale assays were exported from Spectronaut. For alignment runs, DIA and PRM data were analyzed using Spectronaut and Skyline respectively.</p><h4><strong>Conclusions&nbsp;</strong></h4><ul><li>Adaptive RT alignment on Orbitrap Astral Zoom MS shows robustness against various sources of RT shifts and has high target recovery even for thousands of targets&nbsp;</li><li>aRT enables the use of target acquisition windows &lt;15 s for robust targeting at high throughput&nbsp;</li><li>aRT Hybrid DIA allows targeting of up to 1000 targets with minimal cost to DIA depth</li></ul><h3><strong>5. Waters Corporation / ASMS: BOOSTING SENSITIVITY IN TOP-DOWN PROTEIN STUDIES USING CYCLIC IMS-ENABLED WIDEBAND ENHANCEMENT</strong></h3><ul><li>Poster</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/720009471_51f2e8b546.pdf"><strong>Full PDF for download</strong></a></li></ul><div><div><section><div><div><div><div><div><div><p>The poster evaluates <strong>Wideband Enhancement (WBE)</strong> as a way to improve sensitivity in top-down protein mass spectrometry. In top-down workflows, intact proteins are fragmented directly, but the signal is distributed across multiple charge states, isotope envelopes, and numerous product ions, which can limit MS/MS sensitivity. WBE addresses this problem by synchronizing ion packets leaving the ion mobility region with the time-of-flight pusher, thereby increasing the number of ions that reach the detector within a selected <i>m/z</i> range.</p><p>Experiments were performed using a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/2434"><strong>Waters Cyclic IMS P20 Mass Spectrometer</strong></a> equipped with an <strong>electron capture dissociation cell</strong>. Samples were introduced by direct infusion in positive electrospray ionization mode. Two proteins were studied under denaturing conditions: bovine ubiquitin, approximately 8.5 kDa, and bovine carbonic anhydrase II, approximately 29 kDa. Single-pass and bypass ion mobility measurements were carried out with and without WBE, using both <strong>collision-induced dissociation (CID)</strong> and <strong>electron capture dissociation (ECD)</strong>. Data were acquired in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/635"><strong>MassLynx</strong></a><strong> v4.2</strong> and processed using <strong>DriftScope</strong> and the <strong>waters_connect UNIFI peptide-mapping workflow</strong>.</p><p>For ubiquitin, WBE substantially increased the intensity of CID- and ECD-derived fragment ions. Improvements of up to tenfold were observed across the c- and z-ion series, while bypass ion mobility mode produced the largest overall sensitivity gain. The results indicate that WBE can enhance fragment detection while retaining the benefits of cyclic ion mobility separation and without sacrificing mass-spectral resolution.</p><p>The larger carbonic anhydrase II protein also showed marked improvements. CID fragment signals increased by up to tenfold for lower-<i>m/z</i> ions and about eightfold for higher-<i>m/z</i> fragments. Because ECD is generally less efficient than CID, the benefit of WBE was especially evident in ECD experiments: sequence coverage increased from <strong>54% without WBE to 70% with WBE</strong> in bypass mode. The authors conclude that combining WBE with complementary CID and ECD fragmentation on the Cyclic IMS P20 enables more sensitive and comprehensive top-down protein characterization.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div></section></div></div>

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News from LabRulezLCMS Library - Week 33, 2026