Charge detection mass spectrometry adds new value to traditional mass spectrometry in detecting larger molecules such as coronaviruses.

TrueMass presents the world’s first commercially designed charge detection mass spectrometer (CDMS) at this year’s ASMS in Philadelphia, PA.

Offering the ability to enhance mass spectrometry, widely used in small molecule detection, the TrueMass technology enables detailed analysis of macromolecules such as viruses. For the first time, CDMS overcomes the challenge of identifying the true mass of large biomolecules at high resolution, and at the high throughput needed in today’s research laboratory. By introducing charge as an additional simultaneous measurement to determine the intensity of individual signals, the TrueMass CDMS addresses this long-standing trade-off.

Conventional mass analysers fail to give distinct spectral peaks for large species such as viral capsids and RNA, caused by the continuum of possible charge states delivered by electrospray ionisation and the limitations of charge accuracy. TrueMass overcomes this limitation by measuring both mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) and charge (z) together, resulting in true mass measurements. The CDMS technology incorporates an optimized electrospray source and ion interface, and returns a clear spectral peak for large molecule species in the Mega-Dalton range.

John Hoyes, Founder and CEO of TrueMass, comments: “The pandemic showed us beyond all doubt that we have an urgent need for technology that provides accurate, reliable and in-depth analysis to help us better understand large molecules such as viruses. We have already secured significant investment to enable us to bring the CDMS prototype to proof of concept, testament to its strong potential, advanced analytical capabilities, and the confidence that the investors have in the technology.”

The technology is finding application in biomolecule analysis for investigations into human diseases caused by viruses, such as coronaviruses. Other applications include the analysis of proteoforms, DNA and, in materials technology, the characterization of polymers and nanoparticles.

TrueMass was founded in the Netherlands in 2020 and has manufacturing facilities based in Manchester, UK. The privately owned invested company has secured significant funding from business angels, with the mission of delivering new technology to help researchers and clinical laboratories worldwide advance research into drug development and materials technology. The investment will drive growth to proof of concept and onwards to full product commercialization.

About TrueMass

TrueMass is the brainchild of John Hoyes PhD. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the mass spectrometry industry with a long background in instrumentation design of mass and ion mobility spectrometers, most recently as Technical Director at Waters Manchester. John was awarded the prestigious HUPO (the Human Proteome Organization) Science and Technology Award in 2016 and was formerly a Waters Scientific Fellow.

TrueMass optimizes CDMS technology for commercial application and was launched in direct response to the pandemic, borne out of the currently unmet need to be able to identify individual species of large molecules such as viruses.

TrueMass is developing its prototype to proof of concept, with the goal of bringing the technology to commercial application, driving forward research into macromolecules in academia and clinical labs worldwide.