What isspectrometerused for

Molecules are converted to gas-phase ions so that they can be moved about and manipulated by external electric and magnetic fields. In our laboratory we use a technique called nanoelectrospray ionization, which is somewhat similar to how cars are industrially painted. This method allows for creating positively or negatively charged ions, depending on the experimental requirements.  Nanoelectrospray ionization can directly couple the outlet of a small-scale chromatography column directly to the inlet of a mass spectrometer.  The flow from the column is passed through a needle that is 10-15 um at its tip.

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Once ionized, the ions are sorted and separated according to mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios. There are a number of mass analyzers currently available, each of which has trade-offs relating to speed of operation, resolution of separation, and other operational requirements.  The specific types in use at the Broad Institute are discussed in the next section.  The mass analyzer often works in concert with the ion detection system.

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In 2021, our sustainability efforts sent more than 80 percent of waste from the Genomics Platform to either a recycling facility or to an incineration plant that generates electricity.

The separated ions are then measured and sent to a data system where the m/z ratios are stored together along with their relative abundance.  A mass spectrum is simply the m/z ratios of the ions present in a sample plotted against their intensities.  Each peak in a mass spectrum shows a component of unique m/z in the sample, and heights of the peaks connote the relative abundance of the various components in the sample.

In November 2022, Broad’s Genomics Platform sequenced its 500,000th whole human genome, a mere four years after sequencing its 100,000th.

Mass spectrometry is an analytical tool useful for measuring the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of one or more molecules present in a sample.  These measurements can often be used to calculate the exact molecular weight of the sample components as well. Typically, mass spectrometers can be used to identify unknown compounds via molecular weight determination, to quantify known compounds, and to determine structure and chemical properties of molecules.

In March of 2020, Broad Institute converted a clinical genetics processing lab into a large-scale COVID-19 testing facility in less than two weeks.

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The NeuroGAP-Psychosis project, a collaboration between the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to study the genetics of severe mental illness, has recruited more than 42,000 participants in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa.

Working with Addgene, Broad Institute has shared CRISPR genome-editing reagents with researchers at more than 3,200 institutions in 76 countries.

What isspectrometerin Chemistry

The Drug Repurposing Hub is one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date biologically annotated collections of FDA-approved compounds in the world. Researchers anywhere can explore more than 6,000 drugs in the hub and search for possible new uses for them to jump-start new drug discovery.

Every summer, 18 high school students spend six weeks at Broad working side-by-side with mentors on cutting-edge research.

Through Broad's Scientists in the Classroom program, Broad researchers visit every 8th grade classroom in Cambridge each year to talk about genetics and evolution.

More than 11,000 individuals living with cancer in the United States and Canada have partnered with Count Me In to share their experiences and help accelerate cancer research.