How to access the facility
The Facility is located in the Henry Wellcome Building for Biocatalysis, University of Exeter, and supports both the department of Biosciences and the Living Systems Institute, as well as other Faculties and external users.
For internal (University of Exeter) requests: All requests are to be authorised by the academic supervisor. Note that only written requests will be considered.
All requests should be sent to MassSpec@exeter.ac.uk using our: Exeter Mass Spectrometry Query form.
For external requests: Please contact the mass spectrometry email MassSpec@exeter.ac.uk to discuss your specific needs, including sample information and experimental aims and we will arrange a meeting.
Contact us to discuss feasibility and requirements for new projects, prospective collaborations or grant applications. We will then be able to guide you through the optimal services for your specific project and discuss options for sample preparation, any project-specific consumables, method development, data management and data analysis.
At present, the Facility can support:
Small molecule analysis:
- sample preparation performed by the user/customer following our guidelines, followed by LC/GC-MS analysis by Facility staff. Before submission, samples must be fully resuspended (no visible particulates) and filtered with a 0.2um filter (PTFE or PVDF only). For analyses requiring absolute quantification of analytes, analyte standards must be available for appropriate calibration. We are able to provide support to develop bespoke sample preparation methods for specific analyses.
- Sample preparation as a costed service performed by Facility staff, followed by LC/GC-MS analysis.
Please contact us before initiating your project so that we can advise you on preparing your samples for submission.
Protein analysis:
- Sample preparation performed by a user under Facility supervision, followed by LC-MS analysis by Facility staff.
- Sample preparation performed as a costed service performed by Facility staff, followed by LC-MS analysis.
We would ask that you contact us before initiating your project so that we can advise you on preparing your samples for submission prior to proteomics sample preparation and analysis. Parameters to consider are:
Detergent incompatibility with mass spectrometry: many detergents commonly used for cell lysis (such as Tween, Triton, or NP40) are incompatible with mass spectrometry analysis and may interfere with sample preparation and/or LC-MS analysis of your samples.
Analyte stability: Proteins are sensitive to freezing, temperature and storage conditions, and may require special handling- especially if you are interested in analysing post-translational modifications.
High-pressure chromatography: As proteomics LC-MS analysis takes place under high-pressure conditions, any impurities in the sample or conditions interfering with protein digestion may cause blockages and damage the analytical column, incurring downtime and significant costs.
Facility induction
New Facility users will be given a Facility induction before starting work with us (in person or remotely). This will include:
- SOPs and guidelines for in-person work at the Facility (if relevant)
- Guidelines for sample submission and the types of samples we will accept for each application (small molecule LC-MS, GC-MS, proteomics, HDX-MS)
- Data storage and data management policies
Acknowledgement and fair attribution policy
Researchers should acknowledge support of the Exeter Mass Spectrometry Facility (EXMS) in relevant grant applications and publications arising from work supported by the facility.
Where an EXMS team member has made a substantial intellectual, methodological, analytical, or experimental contribution to a project, authorship should be discussed at an early stage and recognised in line with accepted academic authorship practices.
If authorship is not appropriate, the contribution should be recognised in the acknowledgements section. A suggested acknowledgement statement is:
“The Authors acknowledge use of the Exeter Mass Spectrometry Facility (EXMS) powered by the Centre for Life Sciences Technologies (CLST) at the University of Exeter.”
Charges
Our Facility is not currently a TRAC facility, however we aim to recover Facility operating costs via our Facility hourly rates, which are available upon request. We are also happy to provide directly allocated costing quotes for grant applications that include work which will take place in our Facility. Contact us via MassSpec@exeter.ac.uk to discuss options.
If you have specific funding questions, you can also discuss these with our Facility Manager, Raif Yuecel.
Booking requests
All booking requests should be made via our email address: MassSpec@exeter.ac.uk. Before a new project is initiated, please complete the query form as outlined above.