Quality control of oligonucleotides using a single quadrupole mass spectrometer.

Introduction of analysis examples using the Vanquish Core HPLC system for routine analysis.

Quality control of oligonucleotides requires confirmation of mass, determination of sample purity, and yield. Oligonucleotides show strong absorption at 260 nm, making quantification easily achievable through UV detection. However, mass confirmation of the analyte requires mass spectrometry. Additionally, quality control necessitates fast and robust methods to ensure high throughput. These can be achieved by combining instruments such as the Thermo Scientific ISQ EM single quadrupole mass spectrometer and the Thermo Scientific Vanquish Flex binary UHPLC system. This paper introduces two workflows for data analysis. Both use peak areas from UV and MS detection to determine the relative abundance of analytes within the sample. However, the first workflow identifies analytes based on the ion species with the highest signal intensity at m/z. The second workflow employs deconvolution of mass spectra for mass determination and analyte identification.

Analytical Equipment and Devices