Foster City, Calif.-based Applied Biosystems (ABI) officially launched its entry into the proteomics market, the 4700 Proteomics Analyzer, in January. Based on the first commercially available, tandem time-of-flight (TOF/TOF™) mass spectrometer (MS) and offering a number of productivity-enhancing features, the 4700 is designed specifically to excel at proteomics applications, according to David Hicks, ABI's director of marketing for proteomics applications.

The 4700 includes the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-TOF/TOF instrument, a computer, an embedded Oracle database, and instrument control and data analysis software. Optional accessories include a 24-plate autoloader, which allows the instrument to handle nearly 1,200 samples per hour in an unattended run, a 16-tip robotic spotter, and proteomics-specific application software.

According to Hicks, the 4700's TOF/TOF configuration provides "the high resolution, high sensitivity, and high mass accuracy that TOF-based instruments give you, combined with true MS/MS capability." This tandem MS capability allows researchers to select a specific peptide...

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