WALTHAM, Mass. — Thermo Fisher Scientific has launched two new Orbitrap mass spectrometers designed specifically for isotope ratio analysis, expanding access to molecular-level isotope measurements for researchers across environmental science, geoscience, bioscience, food authenticity and other fields.
The new Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Isora Mass Spectrometer and Orbitrap Isora Pro Mass Spectrometer are the company’s first Orbitrap instruments with a dedicated isotope ratio analysis mode.
The systems are part of an integrated workflow that also includes the Thermo Scientific Vanquish Duo UHPLC System and new Isotope Discoverer Software. Thermo Fisher said the combination is intended to simplify isotope ratio analysis and make the technique available to a broader range of laboratories.
Isotope ratio analysis can help researchers determine where compounds originated and identify the molecular processes that shaped them. Applications include tracing environmental contaminants, studying metabolism, examining geological records and verifying the authenticity of food and beverage products.
“Isotope ratio analysis can answer questions few other techniques can address,” said Dieter Hofmann, Vice President and General Manager of Applied Analytical Technologies at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “By bringing these capabilities to a familiar Orbitrap platform and simplifying what has traditionally been a highly specialized workflow, we can put powerful isotope insights in the hands of more scientists and help accelerate discoveries across human health, the environment and our planet.”
Traditional isotope ratio techniques often require samples to be converted into a simple gas before analysis. Thermo Fisher said the new Orbitrap Isora workflow measures isotope ratios directly at the molecular level, allowing researchers to connect isotope measurements with specific intact molecules.
The company said the integrated workflow can also reduce analysis time from days to hours by replacing several script-based and manual data-processing steps.
The Orbitrap Isora MS and Orbitrap Isora Pro MS combine electrospray ionization with high-resolution accurate-mass detection to measure isotopologues and isotope ratios directly from molecular ions. The Orbitrap Isora MS offers maximum resolution of up to 240,000 at m/z 200, while the Pro version offers resolution of up to 480,000 at m/z 200.
The Vanquish Duo UHPLC System automates the introduction of samples and reference materials, while Isotope Discoverer Software extracts isotope ratios, filters data and applies corrections within a single software environment.
“The Orbitrap Isora MS enables new workflows that are very exciting, providing expanding ways to examine everything from human, animal and plant health to the biochemical history of molecule formation,” said Douglas Morrison, Professor of Isotope Bioscience at SUERC – Centre for the Isotope Sciences, University of Glasgow. “By opening new avenues of scientific discovery, the Orbitrap Isora MS could help researchers address fundamental challenges shaping a sustainable future on Planet Earth.”
Thermo Fisher said the workflow could be used in environmental research to trace PFAS and other contaminants through water, soil and food supplies. In geology, climatology and archaeology, the technology can help researchers study past oxygen levels and microbial activity preserved in the geological record.
The system can also support research into nutrition, metabolic disease and drug development by examining how nutrients and metabolites are processed in the body. In food and beverage testing, isotope measurements can help distinguish natural ingredients from synthetic ones and identify potential adulteration.
