Streamlining LCMS data processing from Agilent Chemstation

I'm working on developing a suite of in vitro ADME assays (specifically forced degradation right now) most of which center on using HPLC-MS. The assays themselves are well developed and I can run them efficiently but I'm facing a serious bottleneck at the data processing stage.

I run these assays on an Agilent Infinity 1290, processing with Agilent CDS Chemstation Edition. The forced degradation assays typically run like this:

  1. Set up a sequence where DMSO stocks are diluted with a variety of buffer conditions (e.g., 0.1 N HCl with 20% ACN at 0.1 mg/mL).
  2. Run the sequence to generate t0 data. The three pieces of data that are collected at this stage are retention time, % area, and m/z of base peak in corresponding ESI positive MS trace. These three pieces of data are associated with a peak that we will track as the assay continues. Collect this data for all peaks with area > some arbitrary value.
  3. Using the command scheduler, schedule sequences for 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 hours from t0.
  4. As time points are taken, populate an excel spreadsheet in a table like the one below.
m/z RT t0 t2 t4 t8 t16 t24
395 1.016 100 100 99.1 97.5 94.9 92.3
162 1.095 0 0 0.9 1.8 3.8 5.7
377 1.153 0 0 0 0.6 1.3 1.9

Here are the issues I'm encountering in this process:

  1. Each timepoint is run as a new iteration of the forced degradation sequence. Ideally, all timepoints for a given sample would be exported into a new sequence (or some other meta-organization data structure) so that I could easily follow the degradation. Presently, I have to flip back and forth between sequences looking for the same sample name before I can populate the excel spreadsheet. This adds time and requires more focus than I'd like. It is possible to load signals from other sequences into a new result set as I'm learning right now, but I'm still not sure how to do this automatically.
  2. I have to manually identify and track peaks across timepoints, making judgement calls about whether peaks are real or if they're erroneous. Further, I have to confirm that the peaks in later time points are the same as peaks from earlier timepoints. Ideally, I could use automation to follow peaks over time and populate the table with relevant data.
  3. I'd like to generate stacked plots of chromatograms across timepoints for a given sample. Chemstation has some tools for this but they're extremely clunky and I'm never fully convinced that I've figured them out even when I make good looking plots.

These are my main thoughts about improving my data processing and analysis. Hopefully someone out there has encountered this situation before and knows how to help.

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  • Hi

    You could create a mega-sequence with all of your injections in it after you have acquired the data.  With the first sequence loaded, right click on the name of the second sequence and select Add data files...

    Repeat until you have all of the files loaded, then create a new result set from the Sequence menu

     ]

    You should then be able to make a sequence summary report pulling together all of the associated data files.

    If you want to overlay chromatograms, don't forget that you can sort the sequence (above the chromatograms by any of the columns to find the related chromatograms more easily.

    Is that any help?

    Andy

  • Hi Andy,

    I actually figured out how to use result sets in the middle of writing the post, so I think I get that now. My main hurdles now are getting ChemStation to 

    1. Generate reports associating peaks from specific signals (e.g., 254 nm) with MSD peaks and returning a limited amount of information (e.g., base peak m/z, relative % area by UV, retention time).
    2. Finding the same "peak" (entity with specific retention time and base peak m/z) across other runs in the sequence. Ideally, this information would populate a table like the one I have listed above.
    3. Automatically generate stacked plots
    4. Export information in a form that I can easily pull into excel or prism for statistical analysis and curve fitting.

    I know this is a tall order but at least some of this must be possible; I've seen reports in literature of some slick LCMS data processing programs that people have written for this kind of in vitro ADME analysis.

Reply
  • Hi Andy,

    I actually figured out how to use result sets in the middle of writing the post, so I think I get that now. My main hurdles now are getting ChemStation to 

    1. Generate reports associating peaks from specific signals (e.g., 254 nm) with MSD peaks and returning a limited amount of information (e.g., base peak m/z, relative % area by UV, retention time).
    2. Finding the same "peak" (entity with specific retention time and base peak m/z) across other runs in the sequence. Ideally, this information would populate a table like the one I have listed above.
    3. Automatically generate stacked plots
    4. Export information in a form that I can easily pull into excel or prism for statistical analysis and curve fitting.

    I know this is a tall order but at least some of this must be possible; I've seen reports in literature of some slick LCMS data processing programs that people have written for this kind of in vitro ADME analysis.

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