Biological Applications of Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS) refers to the measurement of mass-to-charge ratio of one or more molecules in a sample. These measurements are also utilized to determine the precise molecular weight of the sample constituents. It helps in the identification of unknown compounds through the determination of the molecular weight, to determine chemical properties and structure of molecules, and measuring the known compounds. MS has grown to be an indispensable analytical tool in biological research and is capable of characterizing a huge range of biomolecules, including oligonucleotides, sugars and proteins. It is useful in a variety of fields, such as metabolomics, biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical research, forensic toxicology, clinical research and proteomics. Food contamination detection, isotope ratio determination, carbon dating, pesticide residue analysis, protein identification, as well as drug discovery and testing are some of the biological applications of MS. Most of the topics introduced in this book cover new techniques and biological applications of mass spectrometry. Those in search of information to further their knowledge will be greatly assisted by this book.