3D OrbiSIMS Launch Event

The University of Nottingham (UoN) has just taken possession of our new 3D OrbiSIMS, a hybrid time-of-flight / Orbitrap ^TM secondary ion mass spectrometer. Over the next couple of months this ground breaking instrument for chemical imaging and analysis will be brought online at the nanoscale and microscale research centre (nmRC) and up to working speed ready to support an array of exciting new and world leading research initiatives. As such we will be looking to mark this occasion with a launch event on the 14^th January 2019 13:00-16:00 and if you have an interest in learning about this technology we would be delighted if you would consider joining us.

Full details on the event, including the schedule and information on how to register can be found via the following link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/3dorbisims-launch-event-tickets-51708588781

You can download a flyer for the 3D OrbiSIMS launch event here.

UoN will be fortunate enough to be the first University in the world to own and operate an instrument of this capability. The prototype was developed down at the National Physcial Laboratory (NPL) as a collaboration between NPL, Thermo Fisher Scientific, GlaxoSmithKline, IONTOF, the University of Nottingham and the University of Illinois and has already had marked success (see below link to 2017 Nature Methods paper) upon which we seek to build.

https://www.nature.com/articles/nmeth.4504

The new 3D OrbiSIMS instrument will facilitate an unprecedented level of mass spectral molecular analysis for a range of materials (hard and soft matter, biological cells and tissues). It will offer exceptional characterisation capabilities in spatial and mass resolution simultaneously. Whilst providing the benefits of a state-of-the-art ToF-SIMS instrument, the integrated high-performance Orbitrap^TM mass spectrometer extends the state-of-the-art for the identification of unknown organic species in complex solid samples. Importantly, the facility is complemented by new high pressure freezing cryo-preparation facilities that will enable biological samples to be maintained close to their native state as frozen-hydrated to complement the more commonly applied but more disruptive freeze drying and sample fixation. When the surface sensitivity, high mass / spatial resolution are combined with a depth profiling sputtering beam, the instrument becomes an extremely powerful tool for 3D chemical analysis.

We hope you will consider joining us to learn more about the technique, tour the facility, understand its prospective capabilities and opportunities!

Any enquiries should be directed to Dr Matthew Piggott, Dr David Scurr or nmRC enquiries.