KJM9240 – Mass Spectrometry
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
This course is addressed to unexperienced mass spectrometry users from various fields (e.g., chemistry, biology, pharmacy, medicine, physics, geology) who want to understand how their instrument works and how to properly interpret the obtained data. Although no hands-on is provided, the course is very much oriented towards helping you with your everyday work on a mass spectrometer, equipping you with the essential technical and chemical-analytical knowledge.
Learning outcome
After completing this course, you will:
- understand how the most common mass analyzers work: quadrupole (QMS), triple quadrupole (TQMS), cylindrical and linear ion trap (CIT-MS, LIT-MS), Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR-MS), Orbitrap-MS, time-of-flight (TOF-MS), and magnetic sector MS analyzers.
- know the principles of the main ionization methods that are currently in use: electron ionization (EI), chemical ionization (CI), Penning ionization (PeI), electron capture negative ionization (ECNI), photoionization (PI), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), fast atom bombardment (FAB), and electrospray ionization (ESI).
- understand the ion chemical and physical processes in an ion source and be able to choose the best ionization method for your sample
- be able to understand and describe the chemical-analytical performance of a mass spectrometer (mass resolution, mass accuracy, sensitivity, limit of detection, etc.)
- be able to interpret mass spectra (mostly ESI-generated) and know the basic principles of ion fragmentation.
Admission to the course
PhD candidates from the University of Oslo should apply for classes and register for examinations through?Studentweb.
If a course has limited intake capacity, priority will be given to PhD candidates who follow an individual education plan where this particular course is included. Some national researchers’ schools may have specific rules for ranking applicants for courses with limited intake capacity.
PhD candidates who have been admitted to another higher education institution must?apply for a position as a visiting student?within a given deadline.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with KJM5240 – Mass Spectrometry.
Teaching
The course duration is one semester, and consists of:
- 30 hours of lectures
- 15 hours of exercises.
Students are required to familiarize themselves with and give a seminar on a given topic. The seminar has to be approved for the student to be allowed to take the exam.
Examination
- Final oral exam?which counts 100% towards the final grade.
A seminar on a given topic must?be approved before you can take the final exam.
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: KJM5240 – Mass Spectrometry.
Examination support material
Smartphone or notebook (for using online MS interpretation tools)
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a?postponed exam?at the beginning of the next semester.
New examinations?are offered at the beginning of the next semester for students who do not successfully complete the exam during the previous semester.
We do not offer a re-scheduled exam for students who withdraw during the exam.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.