Mass spectrometric identification of toxins of biological origin Original Research Article

The chemical/biological (CB) threat spectrum encompasses a wide range of potential agents including chemical warfare agents, biological warfare agents and toxins of biological origin that fall between these two main agent categories. These proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous toxins, commonly referred to as mid-spectrum agents, range in molecular mass from a few hundred to more than a hundred thousand daltons. The large number of potential candidates as well as the structural diversity of possible mid-spectrum agents makes identification of these compounds a challenge. The NATO defense community has recognized these challenges and has a working group that is developing identification protocols and evaluating methods through a series of international analytical exercises. Identification strategies rely heavily on recent advances that have been made in both mass spectrometry (MS) and liquid chromatography (LC), with LC–MS typically being employed as the primary method for separation/identification. While this paper focuses on the application of these and related instrumental analytical techniques for the identification of mid-spectrum agents, the approach described could be applied in the fields of toxicology, forensic science and environmental analysis. Areas for future research have been identified and application of developed mid-spectrum identification methods to the ongoing biological and toxin weapons convention (BTWC) are anticipated.