Laser-induced micromass spectrometry of bioorganic molecules and biological specimens

The application of lasers in mass-spectrometric investigations is reported. Attention is focused on the description of a commercial laser microprobe mass analyzer (LAMMA) made by Leybold-Heraeus and on some features of the application of the technique to the study of biological specimens. Methods of preparing biological specimens for analysis are described and approaches to the quantitative and qualitative explanation of the spectra are presented. Characteristic features of LAMMA spectra of biological and biomedical specimens are described. Future prospects for various applications of the LAMMA technique are assessed.