The Mass Spectrometry Facility

The Mass Spectrometry Facility has one GCMS, one MALDI-MS, one DART-MS, one ICP-MS, one LC-TOF, two LC-QTOF, two LC-triple Quads, and one LC-orbitrap instruments for qualitative and quantitative analyses. The facility is located in 1434 Molecular Science Building (MSB). Members of the UCLA community, other academic institutions, and commercial enterprises may use the mass spectrometers after training by the Mass Spectrometry Laboratory staff.

All users will have their grants recharged for use of the mass spectrometers. Users from Departments other than Chemistry and Biochemistry must request a 6-digit recharge account prior to use of the spectrometers (download application form).

To learn more, please contact the mass spectrometry staff.

Instruments
Acknowledgments
Instrumentation
Rates
Links
Reservations
Sample Submissions
Training & Handouts

Instruments

Small molecule mass measurement:

Agilent GC-Ion trap, Agilent GC-TOF, Waters LC-TOF, Thermo DART-Orbitrap, Agilent 6545 LC-QTOF

Small molecule quantification with MRM mode:

Sciex 4000 QTRAP QQQ, Sciex API 4000 QQQ

Trace metal quantification:

Agilent QQQ ICP-MS

Peptides and intact proteins analysis:

Bruker MALDI-TOF, Agilent 6530 LC-QTOF, Thermo Q Exactive plus Orbitrap

Metabolomic analysis:

Thermo Q-Exactive plus Orbitrap MS coupled with Thermo Vanquish UPLC, Agilent 6545 LC-QTOF

Proteomic analysis:

Thermo Q-Exactive plus Orbitrap MS coupled with Thermo Ultimate 3000 nanoLC

Instrumentation is available for 1D and 2D gel electrophoresis.

MIC staff offer instrumentation training, analysis service, and consultation for sample preparation, experiment design, data mining, and operation of the various instruments.

Acknowledgments

Q-Exactive Users:

Please include the following statement in publications that are based on research where the Q-Exactive was used:

“This material is based upon work supported by the National Institutes of Health under instrumentation grant no. 1S10OD016387-01.”

Mass Spectrometers:

Use our Selection Tool to help you choose the right instrument for your sample.

MS Selection Tool

Mass Spectrometers for Small Molecules:

Agilent 6890N Quad GC/MS with EI and CI ionization capabilities
Agilent 7250 Q-TOF GC/MS with low energy EI
Agilent 6545 Q-TOF LC/MS with 1260 Infinity LC
Agilent 8800 Triple Quads ICP MS
Sciex API 4000 Triple Quads (QQQ), with ESI and APCI capabilities
Sciex 4000 QTrap Triple Quads(QQQ), with ESI and APCI capabilities
Waters LCT Premier TOF LC/MS with ACQUITY UPLC
Thermo Exactive Plus Orbitrap with IonSense ID-CUBE DART source

Mass Spectrometers for bio-molecules:

Agilent 6530 Q-TOF LC/MS with 1260 Infinity LC
Bruker Ultraflex MALDI TOF-TOF
Thermo LTQ FT-ICR MS with Eksigent NanoLC
Thermo Q Exactive Plus Orbitrap™ MS with UltiMate 3000 nanoLC, UltiMate 3000 capillary LC, and Vanquish UPLC (switchable)
Bruker Solarix 15T FT-ICR with ESI and MALDI ionization capabilities

Sample Preparation Equipment:

Thermo (Sorvall) LEGEND RT+ centrifuge with refrigeration
Thermo Savant SpeedVac SPD121P
Thermo Fisher Scientific isotemp incubator
Labconco filtered enclosure
Bio-Rad Protean IEF Cell for isoelectric focusing and 2D gel
Bio-Rad Mini-PROTEAN Tetra Cell for SDS PAGE

Instrument Rates & Lab Fees

If your funding is managed in a department other than Chemistry and Biochemistry, please apply for a chemistry recharge account (download application form)

Usage of the instruments in the Mass Spec lab will be recharged based on the amount of time they are used. The current rates for the recharged instruments are as follows.

User-run (open access) rates for most Mass Spectrometers are $50/hour (UCLA) and $105.24/hour (external).
Staff-run rates are $150/hour (UCLA) and $302.14/hour (external).
MALDI rates are $100/hour (UCLA) and $201.53/hour (external).
The Exactive Plus with the DART source is charged at $27/sample (UCLA) and $156.32/sample (external).
There is no charge for using the provided data analysis PCs.

In addition to providing instruments for independent use, the Mass Spec Lab offers staff consultation services to help users develop, troubleshoot, and optimize their analysis. Fees for these services are charged as follows.

Staff consultation rates are $120/hour (UCLA) and $180.19/hour (external).

Consultation fees are only charged after they are approved by the user.
Consultation fees are charged in 15 min increments.
Staff services that involve instrument use are charged as a combination of consultation and instrument use costs.

Consultation fees are charged primarily for the following services.

Extensive user training.
Extensive method development.
Data collection / analysis for submitted samples.
Instrument hardware modifications.

There is no charge for the following common staff services.

Help with method development or data analysis for routine qualitative or relative quantitative analyses.
Help with instrument operation.
Troubleshooting a possibly malfunctioning instrument.

Reservations

All instruments require training by the staff prior to use.

UCLA users outside the department of Chemistry & Biochemistry: please request a recharge account (download app form).

Please download and read the following:

Click Here to Download

Click on here (msrl1) to reserve the following instruments:

You must be at UCLA or using a UCLA VPN to connect to the web-based reservations

Agilent Q-TOF
API4000 Triple Quad
Ultraflex MALDI-TOF
4000 Q Trap.
LCT Premier
Q-Exactive
Agilent GC-MS

Click on here (msrl2) to reserve the following instruments:

You must be at UCLA or using a UCLA VPN to connect to the web-based reservations

QTOF 6545
ICP MS

Sample Submissions

First time submitters:

Please talk to the appropriate staff member before filling out this form.

Download & fill out the appropriate form prior to sample submission:

Mass Spectrometry Submission Form (PDF)

Biological Sample Submission Form (PDF)

Instruments and Selection Guides

Handouts

Note to users: Instrument operation protocols are for reference only.