Methods and devices for identifying biopolymers using mass spectroscopy

Abstract

A method of identifying a biopolymer in a sample that includes one or more biopolymers. The biopolymers may be polypeptides, polynucleotides, or polysaccharides. The method makes use of mass spectral datasets. A first dataset includes measured masses of the one or more biopolymers that are in the sample. A second dataset includes measured masses of a collection of fragments of the one or more biopolymers. The method selects a mass from the first dataset and then matches masses from the second dataset with the selected mass. The matched masses represent fragments of the biopolymer with the selected mass. Once the masses in the second dataset have been matched they are compared to determine a monomer sequence for the biopolymer with the selected mass. The method may be repeated with additional masses in the first dataset.

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