LC-MS beginner

[mojo]

Our lab is considering purchasing an LC-MS system with mass selective detection. I have 10 years LC experience, but absolutely no MS experience. I would be greatful for any advice on the following:

1) LC-MS vendors and models with strong tec support in the UK. We currently use Agilent LC's and Dionex IC's, so these will be my first point of call.

2) Guidance doc's, literature, etc for MS theory and application. I subscribe to LCGC Europe, so I'll be going through my old issues for info.

I have been surfing the net for info which feels like searching for a needle in a haystack, so any advice offered will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[orcicdejan]

Having a much less experience with LC, and only about half a year experience with LC-MS (actually, MS/MS), I will leave instrument recommendation to others. However, I can recommend you some books:

LC/MS: A Practical User's Guide
http://gigapedia.org/item.id:31672,titl ... age:1.html

Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Third Edition
http://gigapedia.org/item.id:56840,titl ... age:1.html

Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: An Introduction
http://gigapedia.org/item.id:9126,title ... age:1.html

Understanding Mass Spectra : A Basic Approach (reading this one at the moment; great stuff)
http://gigapedia.org/item.id:4272,title ... age:1.html

On the gigapedia you can find some descriptions of these books, and also many others.
I hope this will be useful! Good luck!

[MIB_EO]

Waters have a UK base, so they are at least one candidate to consider. Thermo and Brooker are others.

I would think about what your precise requirements are: Why are you considering LC-MS, what samples will you be running, what are you looking for in those samples. What your future requirements might be

Then contact each vendor and get them to demo their instrument with your samples. Try and get them to compare the same variables - speed sensitivity, resolution, manitenance, ease of maintenance, price, ease and compatability of software.

This shoudl give you some basis to make a choice. Talk to the vendors, they will be able to advise one instrument over another to meet you specfic needs.

[mojo]

Thakyou both.