Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility (BMSF)
Who we are
The BMSF brings together advanced mass spectrometric equipment and expertise to enliven medical and biological molecular/macromolecular research at UNSW and beyond. Mass spectrometry is increasingly used as an enabling tool in science, medicine and engineering. It helps to detect, treat and find cures for cancer, develop new materials and drugs, and probe the molecular basis of how cells work.
BSMF is committed to making mass spectrometry accessible and effective for researchers, irrespective of their experience with the technique. Research staff at the BMSF are experts in developing and applying mass spectrometry and allied methods. We are here to guide you in the use of instrumentation, develop methods to suit your needs and train research students and staff to operate our sophisticated instruments.
Funding partners:
Capabilities
Instruments
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The Exploris 480 is a high-performance, hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometer typically configured for high sensitivity electrospray with intelligent dependent and data independent scan functions. The system is used for protein or peptide characterisation using nano liquid chromatography and data dependent tandem mass spectrometry.
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The Thermo Scientific Q Exactive UHMR (Ultra-High Mass Range) Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer offers unparalleled sensitivity and mass resolution for high m/z analyses. It excels in native, intact mass, and top-down analyses, providing detailed insights into complex biomolecules. This instrument is ideal for structural biology and biopharma research, enabling the study of large protein assemblies and their interactions with high accuracy and efficiency.
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The Thermo Scientific TSQ Altis Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer offers exceptional sensitivity, robustness, and ease-of-use for targeted quantitation workflows. Featuring Active Ion Management (AIM™) technology, segmented quadrupoles, and enhanced ion transmission, it delivers high sensitivity and selectivity for complex matrices. Ideal for pharmaceutical, environmental, food safety, clinical research, and forensic toxicology applications, the TSQ Altis ensures reliable, high-quality data with minimal downtime.
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The Agilent 5977B GC/MSD is a trusted single quadrupole gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system designed for robust, routine analysis. It enhances sample throughput and analytical performance, making it ideal for applications in environmental, chemical, petrochemical, food, forensic, pharmaceutical, and material testing. The system features improved sensitivity, reliability, and ease of use, ensuring high-quality results for complex sample matrices.
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Thermo ISQ GC-MS: The Thermo Scientific ISQ Single Quadrupole GC-MS with pyrolysis feature offers robust performance for analyzing complex samples. It includes a Direct-Exposure Probe (DEP) capable of flash vaporization or pyrolysis up to 1600°C, and a Direct-Insertion Probe (DIP) for slower volatilization of powders and solids up to 450°C. This system is ideal for applications requiring detailed thermal decomposition analysis, providing high sensitivity and flexibility for various sample types. The ISQ system is designed for ease of use, providing consistent, dependable results for various applications, including environmental, food safety, and forensic analysis.
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The Thermo MAT 253 isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) with Kiel IV carbonate preparation device measures the stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen from inorganic carbonates. All samples are analysed using two primary NBS standards and a secondary standard. The instrument contributes to a wide range of iso-geochemical fields, including paleo-climate reconstruction, palaeontology, marine forensic biology and minerology.
Our people
Fees
All UNSW academic users pay a part of the base hourly access cost with the balance being contributed by UNSW. The UNSW contribution applies to projects supervised by UNSW employed researchers or researchers employed within Affiliated Research Institutes and Centres, opens in a new window included on UNSW's Faculty of Medicine website. A project registration, opens in a new window must be completed fully for the UNSW contributions to be applied.
In some cases where the projects involve extensive access, an access contract may be arranged with the BMSF where the costs for instrument access, sample preparation and consumables are negotiated.
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The BMSF has separate schedules of access fees for public and private sector researchers. These are referred to as 'Academic' and 'Commercial' (see below) respectively. Please note that (1) prices may change without notice and (2) all users are required to comply with the acknowledgement obligations described below.
Users who undergo training to use BMSF instruments (DIY) are eligible for lower access rates than users who require a BMSF analyst to operate instruments on a fee-for-service basis (FFS).
Academic:
UNSW Internal Academic (UNSW & Affiliated): Schedule of Hourly Access Rates for Mass Spectrometry (ex. GST)
A minimum usage of $15 per session is applied to all UNSW users to recover consumables.Service
Base Acad. Rate UNSW Contrib. UNSW Academics FFS $210 -$140 $70 DIY $105 -$70 $35 Service
- FFS
- Base Acad. Rate
- $210
- UNSW Contrib.
- -$140
- UNSW Academics
- $70
Service
- DIY
- Base Acad. Rate
- $105
- UNSW Contrib.
- -$70
- UNSW Academics
- $35
Academic:
UNSW Internal Academic (UNSW & Affiliated): Schedule of Hourly Access Rates for Liquid and Gas Chromatography (ex. GST)
A minimum usage of $15 per session is applied to all UNSW users to recover consumables.Service Base Acad. Rate UNSW Contrib. UNSW Academics FFS $105 -$70 $35 DIY $53 -$35 $18 - Service
- FFS
- Base Acad. Rate
- $105
- UNSW Contrib.
- -$70
- UNSW Academics
- $35
- Service
- DIY
- Base Acad. Rate
- $53
- UNSW Contrib.
- -$35
- UNSW Academics
- $18
External Academic (Public Sector Researchers):
Schedule of Hourly Access RatesService Rate FFS $210 DIY $105 Instrument training $210 - Service
- FFS
- Rate
- $210
- Service
- DIY
- Rate
- $105
- Service
- Instrument training
- Rate
- $210
- Sample preparation, clean-up time and consumables additional (e.g. Ziptip $15 per cleanup and Western blot $40).
- Base academic rates apply to all external academics.
- UNSW contribution applies to UNSW users and users from BMSF LIEF partners.
- Fees paid from non-UNSW cost centres are via an invoice and incur a 10% GST charge.
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Hourly access rates for Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry for Commercial (Private Sector) Researchers start from $410/hour (ex. GST). Costs will be experiment-dependent. Please contact BMSF for more information.
- Minimum amount. Does not include sample preparation, data analysis, clean-up time and consumables additional. A detailed costing will be provided for each project.
- An additional 10% GST applies to invoice totals.
Acknowledgement obligations
All research publications (be they collaborative or non-collaborative) that contain data obtained with resources at the BMSF are required to explicitly acknowledge this with the following wording or similar wording having the same meaning:
Mass spectrometric results (or specify this more precisely) were obtained at the Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility within the Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre of the University of New South Wales.
How to access
BMSF user only
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Contact us via email or a BMSF staff member to arrange a meeting to discuss your analytical needs.
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User Registration: Register online by going to the UNSW Sydney ACLab system
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Project Registration: Complete the BMSF Project Registration Form (PRF) ensure the signed form is sent to Cigdem Guzel - c.guzel@unsw.edu.au & Sydney Liu Lau - s.liulau@unsw.edu.au
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Read the BMSF lab manual and complete the questionnaires for the relevant labs:
• Wallace Wurth Questionnaire
• Biosciences Precinct Questionnaire
• June Griffith Questionnaire -
Induction tour registration: You will be emailed a link once you have obtained 100% correct answers. The induction tours are the last step of the induction process.
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Arrange training with the appropriate BMSF contact.
Upon completion of training, you will be required to read the relevant safety documentation before a training certificate is issued.
MSI / SPR user only
Step 1 -
Read the BMSF lab manual and complete the questionnaire here.
Step 2 -
Induction Tour Registration: You will be emailed a link once you have obtained 100% correct answers. The induction tours are the last step of the induction process.
Contact us
Wallace Wurth
Laboratory & Administration
Level 4 North West
Wallace Wurth Building
UNSW Sydney, NSW 2033
Phone: 02 9385 1717
Email: bmsf@unsw.edu.au
Biosciences Precinct Laboratory
Level 2
Biosciences South (E26)
UNSW Sydney, NSW 2033
Phone: 02 9385 2872
Chemical Sciences Laboratory
Rm B50 Basement
June Griffith Building (F10)
UNSW Sydney, NSW 2033
Phone: 02 9385 7739
We like to hear from you. If you have questions, requests or ideas for collaboration, please complete the contact form and we will be in touch within five business days.
Resources
Get in touch about your project
We offer a range of services that can be tailored to your needs. Please send us an enquiry to get started.
