QC Mixes and Kits

Quality control (QC) of methods and systems is necessary toward the generation of reliable mass spectrometry (MS) data. To help obtain accurate and precise metabolomic data that can be reproduced by independent laboratories with different MS technologies, standardized protocols and reagents are ultimately necessary. To that end, CIL is pleased to offer a variety of metabolite-based, QC mixes and kits. The kits comprise vials of dried-down metabolite mixes and have been qualified on both low- and high-resolution mass spectrometers operated under untargeted/targeted metabolomics regimens. In an example, the metabolomics QC kit (MSK-QC-KIT) comprises two vials of 14 stable isotope-labeled standards. Procedurally, these vials (when obtained as a kit) are to be mixed prior to use as workflow QC standards in matrix-free and matrix-containing (e.g., human plasma) analysis. Such evaluations would involve the method (e.g., implemented at the beginning of a workflow, before and after extraction) and analytical platform, with metric tracking over time for performance accreditation. The potential use of this kit though extends beyond QC testing. It can also be used as spike-in standards for quantitation. In quantitation, an aliquot of the stock mix (diluted as necessary) could be spiked into a sample matrix for use in isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) applications.