Contaminants and Recommended Procedures

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This guide provides a Best Practices foundation to guide our users through the basic steps of sample preparation for metabolomic/proteomic analysis by Mass spectrometry.

⦁ These protocols are considered to be robust methods for sample treatment. Your particular result may vary depending on the characteristics of your sample. However these methods are robust and as such should be tried before alternate methods.

You MUST completely AVOID the following!!

STABILIZERS: DO NOT USE any glycerol, PEG or related stabilizers. They are easy to ionize, especially PEG, and if they are present, that is all you will see!

COLORED TUBES AND TIPS: DO NOT USE IN ANY STEP. These materials often contain residual quantities of dyes that can be released into your sample. We provide some options on our Resources list.

DO NOT SEAL TUBES WITH PARAFILM. They are a rich source of PEG contamination.

OTHER IMPORTANT PROCEDURES TO AVOID CONTAMINATION

⦁ Any sample manipulation should be done in a BSC, laminar flow hood, or by using mask and disposable surgical cap. Skin cells and hair are a rich source of Keratin.

⦁ Always wear nitrile (not latex) gloves and rinse them occasionally as they readily accumulate static charge and attract dust and pieces of hair and wool.

⦁ Wear a lab coat and make sure there is no gap between your coat sleeve and the gloves (lab tape and rubber bands work well).

⦁ All bottles and other containers used should be purchased for and dedicated to MS work. Do not wash with detergent. Do not share with others in your lab for non-MS purposes.

⦁ Do not pipette solutions directly from the solution stock bottle. Transfer the amount needed to a dedicated glassware beaker or flask. Discard the leftover solution.