RapidFire™ Mass Spectrometry (RF-MS): A Novel Screening Tool for Label-Free Functional Assays

Mike Biros, MBA, BioTrove, Incorporated

BioTrove RapidFire™ Mass Spectrometry (RF-MS) is a next-generation technology that allows label-free mass spectrometry data to be generated for native biological substrates in in vitro assays, orders of magnitude faster than traditional LC-MS.

The RapidFire system, coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, is an integrated sample-preparation and analysis platform. It is capable of MS-based analysis on the order of 5-8 seconds per sample, or up to 5000 samples in an 8-hour day without any changes to standard plate reader-based workflows. Plates prepared using automated fluidic systems are analyzed using the RF-MS system and custom data analysis tools facilitate generation of reports which can be directly imported into laboratory databases. The application of this technology for a wide range of targets, including triglycerides, lipids, fatty acids, prostaglandins, steroids, co-enzyme A derivatives, neurotransmitters, antifungals and anti-infectives will be reviewed. The use of the technology for CYP450 inhibition with human liver microsomes and unlabeled drug probes will be presented.