Prototype Mass Spectrometer Handles Billions of Ions at Once

Nature-inspired prototype points toward faster, more sensitive single-cell proteomics and metabolomics

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Researchers at Rockefeller University developed a prototype mass spectrometer called MultiQ-IT that analyzes over a billion ions simultaneously.
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MultiQ-IT uses hundreds of electrically controlled openings to cool, confine, sort, and redirect multiple ion populations at once.
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The 486-port version of MultiQ-IT can hold up to ten billion charges, significantly surpassing conventional ion trap capacities.
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This new approach improves signal-to-noise ratios by allowing background ions to leak away while retaining important multiply charged species.
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The prototype could enhance single-cell proteomics by ensuring that rare but crucial molecules are not overlooked in analysis.

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