Product News: Improved Version of Bruker’s TargetScreener HR 3.1 for Applied Toxicology and Forensics Unveiled

Bruker has announced an enhanced version of TargetScreener HR 3.1, encompassing an additional 600 compounds in the field of veterinary drugs, new psychoactive substances and pesticides, resulting in a database exceeding 2,800 compounds.

All versions of TargetScreener contain TASQ™ (Target Analysis for Screening and Quantitation) software to provide a unified platform for automated screening and quantitative applications in forensic, food and environmental safety markets. TASQ uses a unique method for providing positive identifications from the highly curated database, which results in minimal false positives and false negatives, while simultaneously performing seamless quantitation.

Prof. Dr. Volker Auwärter and Dr. Laura Huppertz of the Department of Forensic Toxicology at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany, commented: “TargetScreener has proved invaluable in enhancing our productivity due to the automation and the intuitive nature of TASQ. The approach minimizes false positives by combining the high mass accuracy of the impact QTOF with advanced identification and confirmation criteria. The instrument's sensitivity ensures we capture minor components even when co-eluting with highly concentrated components within the human samples we analyze, including hair samples. Furthermore, the dynamic range allows us to receive a realistic estimate of the concentrations at the same time. Regarding the cases we have to solve, and the sometimes limited sample amounts, the possibility of retrospective data evaluation is of great value to us, especially in cases involving new psychoactive substances."

Howard Taylor, PhD, Laboratory Directory at Addictions Labs of America in Brentwood, TN, stated: “Our laboratory purchased 14 Bruker compact QTOFs because of their reliability and ease of use. The TASQ software is very intuitive and extremely user friendly. Quantitation is presented with great flexibility and the user can quickly identify outliers. The TASQ software makes it easy to add new analytes for retrospective searches of new drugs.”

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