Soft-Ionization Mass Spectrometry Techniques in Biosciences

A.S.CEREZO; J.M.SCACCIATI; R. ERRA BALSELLS

Anales de la Sociedad Científica Argentina

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2009

Abstract Mass spectrometry (MS) technique was well established since 1950. The luck of proper volatilization/ionization methods to get intact molecular ions in gas state did not allow to use this technique in the analysis of thermolabile molecules such as macromolecules and biomolecules in general. Although technological efforts to solve this problem were attempted, almost 40 years were necessary to pass to find the proper solution. K. Tanaka and J. B. Fenn did. Scientific community recognize this fact and both received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2002. The magic soft ionization methods developed are called ultraviolet matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (UV-MALDI ) the former and electrospray ionization (ESI) the latter. Both give complementary information and are required as routine analytical tool in biosciences. Development of MS technique has been quite explosive and outstanding that even intact plant and mammalian tissues can be analyzed nowadays. 2 Key words: Electron ionization (EI), Electrospray ionization (ESI), Fast atom bombardment (FAB), Ultraviolet matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (UV-MALDI) bombardment (FAB), Ultraviolet matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (UV-MALDI) Electron ionization (EI), Electrospray ionization (ESI), Fast atom bombardment (FAB), Ultraviolet matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (UV-MALDI)