Wed Dec 23, 2015 6:55 pm by anitamkant
Hi Matt,
It is always advisable to check the background metal levels from the reagents and buffers used in the experiment.
Your question is: "Will testing them as "Neat" a) dirty the parts and b) cause damage to the detector?"
A: It is always advisable to dilute any unknown (for the level of contamination) buffer before testing it on CyTOF and as Rob suggested start with the highest dilution.
The rule of thumb is that the total dissolved solids of any solution which is introduced into the plasma should not be above 0.1%, and for the safety of the detector, it is better to be under 10 ppb for metals. If one suspects Ba at a ppm level, 1:1,000 dilution is recommended before running.
Also, checking the vendor's certificate of analysis is a must when dealing with new buffers. Selection of high purity ones is recommended. For example, some manufacturers will specify Heavy Metals (like Pb) < 5 ppm. Thus, one would want to dilute 500 times to have less than 10 ppb of metals, before running on CyTOF.
Some specifications would show actual detailed content of the most common metal contaminations. One would need to assess the highest level and dilute accordingly.
1000 times is a reasonable general estimate.
Please do not hesitate to contact your local Field Application Scientist and Technical Support Team at Fluidigm for any further questions.
Regards,
Fluidigm Team