New Q Exactive HF-X Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer Offers Advance Disease Research and Drug Discovery

A new high-performing Orbitrap mass spectrometer, designed for consistently and quickly producing enhanced data quality for challenging workflows across biopharma and life science research applications, is now available for Scientists studying complex protein samples.

The Thermo Scientific Q Exactive HF-X Hybrid Quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometer puts forth new standards for in depth analysis, reproducibility and quantitative accuracy, enabling Scientists to improve drug discovery and disease research.

The Q Exactive HF-X mass spectrometer focuses on offering reproducible, accurate and sensitive analyses of majorly complex samples for different aspects of translational research and biopharma applications. This includes full characterization of complex biotherapeutics, biomarker discovery and verification, aswel as comprehensive proteome profiling and quantitation.

Accurate and extremely fast mass analysis including two-to-three-fold sensitivity improvements are delivered by the Q Exactive HF-X instrument, for R&D Scientists, thus delivering the same number of protein identifications in half of the time needed for earlier models. For biopharma Scientists, the Q Exactive HF-X instrument offers up to eight times improved signal to noise ratio for intact, native monoclonal antibody mass determination, purity checks and glycoprofiling.

The study of biomolecules for potential use as disease markers, drug targets and therapeutic agents requires the analysis of highly complex samples. Scientists demand depth of analysis, data quality and analytical precision without sacrificing robustness or speed. The new Q Exactive HF-X platform includes technical advances meant to deliver significant performance improvements, making it the new flagship of the Q Exactive mass spectrometer product family.

Ken Miller, Vice President, Omics Marketing, Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, Thermo Fisher

Dr. Jesper Olsen, Associate Professor and Deputy Center Director of the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Center for Protein Research at the University of Copenhagen, was an early tester of the Q Exactive HF-X for protein research. “Our team has been applying proteomics technology to systems-wide analyses of dynamic post-translational modifications that regulate cell signal transduction pathways,” said Olsen. “Using the Q Exactive HF-X Hybrid, we have managed to identify 1,100 unique peptides per minute, which is a new world record.”

The new Q Exactive HF-X spectrometer will be displayed by Thermo Fisher as part of a workflow that includes enhanced instrumentation, software and columns in order to support customers from sample to knowledge. The workflow includes: the Thermo Scientific UltiMate 3000 RSLCnano system, designed for capillary, nano and micro-flow applications needing high-sensitivity and throughput; the Thermo Scientific EASY-Spray PepMap 15 cm x 150 mm Capillary column, designed for reliable and robust separations; Biognosys Spectronaut Pulsar software, presently compatible with the Q Exactive HF-X instrument as well as earlier Orbitrap instruments, intended to permit Researchers to execute data-independent analysis using MS1 quantitation for accurate and reproducible quantitation of thousands of proteins in a single run and Thermo Scientific Proteome Discoverer 2.2 software meant for label-free quantitation, which provides extensive identification and quantification of proteins and reproducibility across experiments.

Thermo Fisher is launching new instruments, consumables and software during the 65^th Annual American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Conference, scheduled from June 4^th-8^th, in the White River Ballroom F-J at the JW Marriott, Indianapolis.