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Mass Spectrometry Facility

POLICIES

The Advisory Committee will be composed of Drs. Coop, Wilks (Vice Chair for Research), Swaan (Program Director) and chaired by Dr. Paul Shapiro. Dr.  Shapiro is Associate Dean for Research with the School of Pharmacy and has an established track-record of NIH funding. His administrative position ensures independence and he would serve as an impartial evaluator with intricate knowledge of the research needs within the Department and the School of Pharmacy as a whole. The Advisory Committee will make policy and resolve any issues with regard to access and use of the instrumentation.

Further, it will oversee record-keeping pertaining to the use and maintenance of the spectrometer and will confer as frequently as necessary but not less than once a quarter to review policies and issues with regard to use, operation, and maintenance of the instrument. Importantly, we have assigned no individual faculty member in the core user group greater than 25% of the available time for their use. However, should immediate, compelling research needs arise, with the permission of the Advisory Committee, usage of up to 50% time during a particular quarter will be permitted.

PROCEDURES

University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy, Mass Spectrometry Facility

Guidelines for use of the Finnigan Discovery Max LC/MS

• A monthly schedule for use of the Finnigan Discovery Max LC/MS will be posted the first of each month.  Priority will be given to School of Pharmacy users.  Please be aware that this is a heavily used piece of equipment and time will be allocated as fairly as possible (see Advisory Committee Guidelines).   After hour use (evenings and weekends) will be restricted to those users who have received training on the instrument and have been cleared for use by the Facilities Manager, Robert Rogowski (rrogowsk@rx.umaryland.edu or 410 706-2971).  Any concerns with the scheduling allocation should be addressed to the Advisory Committee through (awilks@rx.umaryland.edu ). 

• For The Finnigan LCQ please log in the start and finish time of your session in the log book provided.  Please note the only acceptable injection solvent is methanol and/or acetonitrile. Please follow all posted cleaning procedures on completion of your session.

• Safe practice procedures should be followed at all times.  No solvent bottles should be left on the top of the instrument. While in use please store containers on the floor out of direct foot passage.  On completion of your scheduled time be courteous to others and please remove your solvent bottles from the area. 

• When you replace your solvent bottle with a solvent bottle already in place on the LC system please cap the solvent bottle. 

• No one is allowed to change any hardware or attempt to fix any mechanical issues with any of the mass spectrometers (do not contact tech support at Thermo Scientific).  Please notify Robert Rogowski of any issues which require disassembling the equipment or replacing parts. This includes clogged injector needles, transfer tubes, sample loops, ESI capillaries, ESI needles and/or changing peek tubing lines.

• If any software problems arise and you are unsure what to do please contact Robert Rogowski. Do not load or remove any software onto the computers in the Mass Spectrometry Facility.  On a regular basis please back up your method and data files using either a USB memory stick or CD-R or CD-RW. 

• Please clean up your work space when you’re finished using any of the instruments. Be considerate to the person who comes on the instrument after you.

University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy, Mass Spectrometry Facility

Guidelines for use of the class="pagesubtitle1"Bruker Autoflex II Maldi-ToF Mass Spectrometer

• All users need to have received training on the instrument and must also be cleared for independent use of the instrument by the Facilities Manager, Robert Rogowski (rrogowsk@rx.umaryalnd.edu or 410 706-2971). 
• All users must reserve the machine 24 hours in advance by emailing the facilities manager.
• Log all samples into the log book providing details listed therein.
• Backup your data files and place any new methods in a new folder on the computer which you have created. Never overwrite methods that already exist on the computer (these are factory installed methods and should never be overwritten).
• After your analysis is complete, wash off the sample plate with soap and water followed by methanol and place the plate back in the drawer where you found it.
• Make sure the tray sample housing is not left open but has been recoiled into the Autoflex II. (Never leave this in the open position).
• Close the Bruker Autoflex software when you’re finished running your samples.
• Contact mass spectrometry lab manager if any problems with hardware or software arises (do not contact technical support at Bruker).

If you are submitting samples for MALDI-TOF analysis, you are expected to provide the following details:

• Molecular Weight of protein
• Source of protein
• Enzyme used for digestion of protein
• Any modifications that may have been performed
• Approximate concentration of sample

IF YOU ARE DONE WITH ANALYSIS AFTER 5 PM, PLEASE TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND LOCK THE DOOR.