Mass spectrometry has been the technique of choice in anti-doping labs since the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. Since then, a combination of targeted tandem mass spectrometry and high-resolution techniques have been used to quantify and identify anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, respectively. Recently, the promise of ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) has been demonstrated especially for its ability to rapidly separate isomeric species. Moreover, IM can be used to measure an ion’s collision cross section (CCS), a reproducible parameter that can be used to populate databases and even better identify previously undetected species. Currently, our group is funded by the Partnership for Clean Competition to develop IM methods and create a predictive database of theoretical anabolic steroids and their metabolites.
Representative Papers