Thermo Scientific™ Q Exactive™ UHMR Hybrid Quadrupole Orbitrap™ Mass Spectrometer

Go beyond what you thought possible with native mass spectrometry

The Thermo Scientific™ Q Exactive™ UHMR is the first hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap™ mass spectrometer designed specifically for ultra-high mass range (UHMR) native MS and top-down protein analysis. It combines exceptional sensitivity, ultra-high resolution at high m/z, and unique pseudo-MS³ capabilities, enabling detailed characterization of intact protein assemblies and complex biological systems.

🔬 Breakthrough in Native Mass Spectrometry

Native mass spectrometry preserves the non-covalent structure and interactions of proteins and protein complexes, making it an indispensable tool for structural biology and biopharma. The Q Exactive UHMR system enables direct mass analysis of intact macromolecules, including membrane proteins, virus capsids, and ribosomal particles—with unrivaled detail.

• Ultra-high mass range detection up to 80,000 m/z
• Native top-down analysis of protein complexes and assemblies
• High sensitivity for precious or low-abundance samples
• Resolve mass differences even in heterogeneous megaDalton assemblies

⚙️ Technological Innovations

The Q Exactive UHMR system integrates multiple hardware advancements to overcome the historical limitations of native MS:

• In-source trapping for efficient desolvation and controlled dissociation
• Advanced quadrupole mass filter with selection up to 25,000 m/z
• Reduced RF frequencies across the ion path for better high-mass transmission
• Pseudo-MS³ capability: fragment large complexes into subunits, then sequence them in HCD cell

🧬 Applications and Capabilities

Confident characterization of complex biological systems:

• Virus capsid analysis: Differentiation and sequencing of 3–4 MDa hepatitis B virus capsids
• Ribosome studies: Resolution of substoichiometric proteins in E. coli 70S particles
• Membrane proteins: Gentle liberation from micelles and native top-down sequencing (e.g., AmtB trimer)
• Chaperonin complexes: Native top-down analysis of GroEL tetradecamer

Detect and resolve small differences in high-mass species:

• Post-translational modifications
• Ligand binding
• Protein truncations and isoforms

💡 Software for Confident Data Interpretation

Maximize the power of native MS with industry-leading software:

• BioPharma Finder™ Software – For intact mass confirmation, top-down analysis, and PTM localization
• ProSightPC™ Software – Advanced top-down proteomics with integrated UniProt database search

🧪 Who Is It For?

Ideal for research groups and industry labs focused on:

• Structural biology
• Biotherapeutic development
• Native and top-down proteomics
• Protein-ligand interaction studies

🧭 Summary of Key Features

• Mass range: Up to 80,000 m/z
• Quadrupole isolation: Up to 25,000 m/z
• Sensitivity: Orders of magnitude higher at high m/z
• Fragmentation: HCD, pseudo-MS³ for native top-down
• In-source trapping: Yes, optimized for membrane protein assemblies
• Software: BioPharma Finder, ProSightPC
• Compatible analyses: Native MS, top-down, intact mass, charge detection

Thermo Scientific™ Q Exactive™ UHMR Hybrid Quadrupole Orbitrap™ Mass Spectrometer