Where to Bring Your Samples:
Analytical and Biological Mass Spectrometry Facility
University of Arizona
BIO5, Keating Building, Room 124J (Lab) / 111F (Office)
1657 East Helen Street
Tucson AZ 85721
Notification of Results
You will be notified promptly by email and/or phone as soon as your sample(s) have been analyzed and results are ready.
You can pick up a hardcopy of your results anytime during business hours.
Electronic Results/Reports
For most types of data, results can be sent to you by email if requested on the sample submission form.
However, please stop by the MS Facility if you have any questions about the results, need help understanding the data, or would like consultation about sample preparation or mass spectrometry for your proteomics research.
See the tables below for normal sample turn-around times, based on the type of analysis requested.
Turn-around times
MALDI
| Type of MS Analysis | Expected Turn-Around Time* |
|---|---|
| MALDI/ToF – general or routine samples (e.g., peptides, small molecules). | Up to 3 days |
| MALDI/ToF – general or routine samples. (e.g., accurate-mass measurements (positive or negative-ion)). | Up to 3 days |
| MALDI/ToF – non-routine samples (e.g., samples requiring method development, unusual preparation, or special analysis conditions). | Up to 15 days |
Electrospray (ESI)
| Type of MS Analysis | Expected Turn-Around Time* |
|---|---|
| ESI/MS – general or routine samples (e.g., intact proteins, DNA, small molecules). | Up to 5 days |
| ESI/MS/MS – non-routine samples (e.g., MS/MS structure work; daughter, parent, or neutral-loss analyses). | Up to 5 days |
| ESI/MS or ESI/MS/MS – non-routine samples (e.g., samples requiring method development). | Inquire |
| ESI/FTMS – routine samples (e.g., accurate mass measurement (positive-ion), accurate mass measurement (negative-ion), or Peptide sequencing). | Up to 3 days |
| LC/MS or LC/MS/MS – routine samples (e.g., small molecules or peptides). | Up to 5 days |
| LC/MS or LC/MS/MS – non-routine samples (e.g., special chromatography conditions, method development, or special setup required). | Inquire |
Proteomics Samples
| Type of MS Analysis | Expected Turn-Around Time* |
|---|---|
| LC/MS/MS – routine samples (e.g., protein ID from gel or solution; analysis of peptide mixtures or synthetic peptides; identification of routine protein modifications (e.g., phosphorylation), IMAC purification and phosphopeptide analysis, Complex protein mixtures). | Up to 15 days NOTE: more than 6 gel bands or samples submitted at the same time may take longer. |
| LC/MS/MS – non-routine samples (e.g., custom protein analysis, special sample preparation, or special instrument setup, analysis of difficult or labile protein modifications, Identification of disulfide linkages). | Up to 15 days NOTE: the search for modifications or disulfide linkages sometimes requires many experiments and may take longer |
| ESI/MS – general or routine samples (e.g., intact protein analysis). | Up to 5 days |
| ESI/FTMS – routine samples (e.g., peptide sequencing, accurate mass measurements (positive-ion), or Intact protein analysis (FTMS)). | Up to 5 days |
| FTMS – non-routine samples (e.g., request for special FTMS analyses (e.g., “top-down” analysis of intact proteins), or identification of disulfide linkages). | Inquire |
| Database Searching –Requests for additional or custom database searches, or denovo sequence searches. | Up to 10 days |
* Turn-around times listed are in "business days", which does not include university holidays or weekends.
Other turn-around time caveats
- Unexpected instrument problems or down time may increase the turn-around time.
- More than 6 gel bands or samples submitted at the same time may take longer.
- Identification of post-translational modifications sometimes requires many experiments and may take longer.
- Samples submitted by investigators outside The University of Arizona may take longer.