GC‑MS: where separation meets identification – master the hyphen.
GC‑MS USERS
BASIC GC KNOWLEDGE
INTERMEDIATE
PHARMA · FOOD · ENVIRO
- Designed for: users of GC‑MS equipment and anyone interested in the analytical capabilities of these instruments
- Ideal for analysts, technicians, and method developers
- Prerequisite: no prior MS knowledge needed, but a basic understanding of gas chromatography is beneficial
- Familiarity with general laboratory practices recommended
Learning outcomes
- Understand how each component of the mass spectrometer works with the gas chromatograph – from transfer line to vacuum pumps
- Learn how ions are produced, filtered, and detected; compare quadrupole, ion trap, and other mass filters
- Use tuning reports as a powerful diagnostic tool to monitor instrument performance
- Optimise instrument settings for high data quality and interpret EI/CI spectra
- Master GC inlet and column parameters for trouble‑free hyphenated analysis
GC‑MS TRAINING
LIVE ONLINE INTERACTIVE SESSION · from separation to identification
We have distilled critical knowledge of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry into a short, interactive course. Through multimedia examples and tutorials, you will learn the absolute essentials – from tuning and ionisation to inlet troubleshooting and data interpretation.
🔬 BASICS OF GC‑MS
- What is GC‑MS? Overview of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry working together
- How they combine for compound separation and identification
- Common applications: environmental analysis, forensics, food safety, drug testing
🧪 GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (GC) OVERVIEW
Principles of GC separation
- Sample introduction (liquid vs. gas samples)
- Volatility and polarity considerations
- Carrier gases (helium, hydrogen, nitrogen)
GC Components & Column Selection
- Inlet systems: split/splitless, PTV, headspace, thermal desorption
- Column types: polar vs. non‑polar stationary phases
- Temperature programming & optimisation
⚙️ MASS SPECTROMETRY (MS) IN GC‑MS
- Principles of mass spectrometry: ionisation process and mass‑to‑charge ratio (m/z)
- Types of GC‑MS configurations: single quadrupole, ion trap, time‑of‑flight
- Vacuum systems and ion optics
⚡ IONIZATION TECHNIQUES IN GC‑MS
Common ionization methods
- Electron Ionization (EI): fragmentation‑rich spectra, library searchable
- Chemical Ionization (CI): soft ionization for molecular ion identification
- Field Ionization (FI): suitable for non‑fragmenting analysis
📊 APPLICATION AREAS OF GC‑MS
- Environmental pollutant analysis
- Drug testing and toxicology
- Food safety and pesticide residue detection
- Metabolomics and biomarker discovery
🗣️ Q&A AND CLOSING DISCUSSION
- Summary of key concepts
- Open discussion on challenges faced in GC‑MS
- Resources for further learning
💻 ONLINE PRACTICAL COMPONENT
- Interactive tuning report interpretation
- Virtual ion source and quadrupole simulation
- Case studies: method development for pesticides / VOCs