The University of Calgary (UCalgary) intends to purchase the High-Performance LC Orbitrap Exploris 120 System from ThermoFisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc. The UCalgary Alberta Centre for Toxicology requires two high-performance liquid chromatograph Orbitrap Exploris 120 systems for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of trace level drugs in biological fluids, and the qualitative and quantitative analysis of microcystin analogues (blue green algae toxins) and neurotoxins in water and biological tissues. The instruments will also be used for other environmental research and toxicology projects. High resolution (accurate mass) is required to identify unknowns and to distinguish between desired analytes and interferences in complex samples. ACFT currently employs an Orbitrap Q Exactive system and has developed several analytical methods for drug detection, cyanotoxins, neurotoxins and other substances to meet the needs of Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services. The current Orbitrap methods will be easily transferred to the new Exploris system with minimal development work. The Orbitrap Exploris 120 is controlled by the same data acquisition and processing software currently being used in ACFT laboratory, ensuring consistency of testing and results while minimizing the learning curve for adopting the new system. The choice of the ThermoFisher equipment meets the essential characteristics of a system for the identification and quantification of Drugs of Abuse (DOA) in a variety of sample types (whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, surface water), and for the analysis of other small molecule toxins (novel psychoactive substances, cyanobacteria toxins, emerging environmental chemicals). To our knowledge, Orbitrap Exploris technologies have no commercial equivalent available in the Canadian market or elsewhere.
