Induction based fluidics (IBF) for droplet-based mass spectrometric analysis of oligonucleotides.

Here, we report the utility of induction-based fluidics (IBF) for the introduction of oligonucleotides to a mass spectrometer via charged droplets. The device produces nanoliter-sized droplets, which are field transported with minimal concerns related to source plugging or sampling loss. The IBF source enabled detection of oligonucleotides at the nanomolar concentration level. Importantly, analysis of individual droplets revealed that oligonucleotide mixtures could be detected with ion abundance ratios that closely match the initial concentration ratios within the sample.