title: Sieve-based device for MALDI sample preparation. I. Influence of sample deposition conditions in oligonucleotide analysis to achieve significant increases in both sensitivity and resolution.
abstract: Spraying of oligonucleotide-matrix solutions through a stainless steel (ss) sieve (38 microm, 450 mesh) leads to the formation, on the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) sample holder, of uniformly distributed microcrystals, well separated from each other. When the resulting sample holder surface is irradiated by laser, abundant molecular species form, with a clear increase in both intensity and resolution with respect to values obtained by 'Dried Droplet', 'Double Layer', and 'Sandwich' deposition methods. In addition, unlike the usual situation, the sample is perfectly homogeneous, and identical spectra are obtained by irradiating different areas. On one hand, the data indicate that this method is highly effective for oligonucleotide MALDI analysis, and on the other, that it can be validly employed for fully automated MALDI procedures.
authors.affiliation: ISB-Ion Source and Biotechnologies, Via Fantoli 16/15, 20138 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Molin
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cristoni
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crotti
authors.forename: Luigi Rossi
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seraglia
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Traldi
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014462:Ultrafiltration / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D009841:Oligonucleotides