Electrospray and MALDI Mass Spectrometry. Fundamentals, Instrumentation, Practicalities, and Biological Applications.

Edited by R.B. Cole. 2010, pp. 847, £100.00, ISBN: 978-0-471-74107-7. Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, USA.

This volume brings both veteran practitioners and beginning scientists up to date with the most recent trends and findings in electrospray ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. In particular, this Second Edition highlights how advances in electrospray and MALDI mass spectrometry are supporting important discoveries in new and emerging fields such as proteomics and metabolomics as well as in traditional areas of chemistry and physics research.

This book is divided into five parts: Part A, Fundamentals of ES, explains the fundamental phenomena underlying the electrospray process, including selectivity in ionization and inherent electrochemistry, and concludes with a chapter offering a comparative inventory of source hardware; Part B, Fundamentals of MALDI, confronts ionization mechanisms, instrument development, and matrix selection, and includes a final chapter that explores the special application of MALDI to obtain two-dimensional images of spatial distributions of compounds on surfaces; Part C, ES and MALDI Coupling to Mass Spectrometry Instrumentation, examines the coupling of these ionization techniques to various mass analyzers, including quadrupole ion trap, time-of-flight, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance, and ion mobility mass spectrometers; Part D, Practical Aspects of ES and MALDI, investigates analytical issues including quantification, charge-state distributions, noncovalent interactions in solution that are preserved as gas-phase ions, and various means of ion excitation in preparation for tandem mass spectrometry, and offers a guide to the interpretation of even-electron mass spectra; Part E, Biological Applications of ES and MALDI, examines the role of mass spectrometry in such areas as peptide and protein characterization, carbohydrate analysis, lipid analysis, and drug discovery.

Written by a team of leading experts, the book not only provides a critical review of the literature, but also presents key concepts in tutorial fashion to help readers take full advantage of the latest technological breakthroughs and applications. As a result, this volume will help researchers fully leverage the power of electrospray and MALDI mass spectrometry. The judicious compartmentalization of chapters, and the pedagogic presentation style throughout, render the book highly suitable for use as a text for graduate-level courses in advanced mass spectrometry.