A previously owned ion trap mass spectrometer (LC/MS) was recently donated to the Chemistry Department by SAIC – Frederick, Inc. Dr. Jack Simpson, a senior scientist at SAIC, made the donation possible. A similar, new LC/MS would cost about $175,000.
The analytically advanced instrument, with a liquid chromatograph inlet that allows chemical separation of complex mixtures prior to analysis, will be used in teaching laboratories and for student-faculty research. The equipment will be used to confirm the structure and molecular weight of chemicals and compounds that are synthesized in the lab or that are found elsewhere and are being studied. As the second LC/MS instrument in the department, its presence will help improve mass spectral instrument availability for both chemistry users and the increased number of users in other science departments.
Greg Rahn, instrumentation specialist in the Science Center, facilitated the donation by initiating discussions with colleagues in the mass spectrometry community. He also configured the lab and instrument for safe and effective operation.
SAIC – Frederick, Inc., operating under contract to the National Cancer Institute, develops and applies advanced technologies to accelerate the delivery of new treatments to patients with cancer and AIDS.
