Life Science Lab Instruments
Life Science Lab Instruments
Shimadzu Life Science Lab Instruments
Life Science Lab Instruments — FAQ
What categories fall under Shimadzu Life Science Lab Instruments?
Shimadzu’s Life Science offering typically includes LC-MS/MS systems, MALDI platforms, capillary electrophoresis, microchip electrophoresis, bioanalyzers, biopharma characterization tools, nucleic acid/protein quantification instruments, cell analysis devices, and sample preparation automation.
What are common applications in life science research?
Proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, biomarker discovery, drug metabolism (DMPK), clinical research, biotherapeutic characterization, omics workflows, and cell analysis.
What sample types can be analyzed?
Biological fluids (serum, plasma, urine), tissues, cell lysates, culture media, nucleic acids, proteins, peptides, metabolites, small molecules, and purified biomolecules.
What LC-MS/MS instruments are typically used in life science labs?
Hybrid triple quadrupole systems, ion traps, Q-TOF, and high‑resolution MS platforms depending on required sensitivity, mass accuracy, and throughput.
What is MALDI and what is it used for?
Matrix‑Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) enables rapid mass analysis of biomolecules such as peptides, proteins, polymers, microbes, and tissue imaging (MALDI‑IMS).
Do Shimadzu systems support omics workflows?
Yes, Shimadzu provides complete platforms for proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, glycomics, and targeted omics studies, including advanced MS instrumentation, software, and sample prep solutions.
What software is available for life science analysis?
Shimadzu software suites support qualitative/quantitative analysis, spectral libraries, database searching, bioinformatics workflows, compliance features, and multi‑omics integration depending on the instrument.
How is data integrity ensured?
User‑role management, secure audit trails, compliant result handling, method versioning, and GMP/GLP‑oriented workflow control are built into Shimadzu’s compliant software platforms.
What are typical detection limits in life science MS systems?
Triple quadrupole systems can reach low‑pg/mL to fg/mL levels depending on matrix and method. HRMS and MALDI systems provide high sensitivity for complex biological samples.
What sample preparation is required?
Depending on application: protein precipitation, enzymatic digestion, SPE, LLE, filtration, desalting, or microchip electrophoresis prep. MALDI requires co‑crystallization with a matrix compound.
Are automated sample preparation systems available?
Yes—automated protein digestion, SPE, microextraction, plate‑based workflows, and high‑throughput LC/MS sample cleanup solutions are available.
Do Shimadzu instruments support biotherapeutic analysis?
Yes—platforms support intact mass analysis, glycan profiling, peptide mapping, host‑cell protein screening, aggregation detection, and stability studies.
Can these systems be used for clinical research (non‑diagnostic)?
Yes—research‑use‑only (RUO) workflows exist for clinical biomarkers, therapeutic monitoring, drug metabolism, and multi‑omics research.
Are high‑throughput options available?
Yes—fast LC, multi‑well autosamplers, MALDI rapid screening, multiplexed workflows, and integrated batch processing can drastically increase throughput.
What maintenance is required?
Cleaning ion sources, inspecting capillaries, replacing LC seals, calibrating mass analyzers, verifying vacuum systems, and scheduled PM by Shimadzu service engineers.
Do instruments support LIMS or external system integration?
Yes—data export, secure file formats, API connections, and LIMS integration are available depending on the software package.
Shimadzu's Life Science Lab Instruments are focused on developing new tools to help accelerate life science research by integrating novel chemistry with innovative technology to achieve a unique position as a true provider of solutions for life scientists.
Shimadzu brings together technologies and tools that help you find out more about your biological sample. Whether it is a gel based experiment for understanding protein expression, characterizing differences in metabolism in patient studies, imaging tissue with mass spectrometry, Shimadzu can help you discover more about the biology of disease.