timsMetabo™
The power to see MoRE
Game-changing sensitivity for TIMS-enabled small molecule analysis
Discover MoRE with Mobility Range Enhanced 4D-Metabolomics
4D-Metabolomics™ and 4D-Lipidomics™ at speed, at depth, and at scale
timsMetabo™ is engineered to advance metabolomics and lipidomics beyond conventional limits. By integrating Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometry (TIMS) with high‑resolution QTOF performance, timsMetabo™ delivers deeper molecular coverage and clearer insight from complex biological samples—at speed and at scale. This enables confident detection and characterization of small molecules, isomers, and isobars that often remain inaccessible with traditional LC‑MS approaches.
As the first benchtop timsTOF system available, timsMetabo™ brings together breakthrough technologies to deliver uncompromised small molecule performance in a compact, high‑impact platform.
Key features include:
- timsMetabo™ features the first TIMS cartridge (TIMS-MX) and collision cell combination with enhanced small molecule performance owing to high frequency electronics operation.
- An improved quadrupole enables increased ion transmission at narrower isolation.
- TIMS-MX and Mobility Range Enhancement (MoRE) leverage mobility-based ion sorting to increase the separation capacity and enable confident metabolite annotation.
- The Athena Ion Processor (AIP) works synergistically with TIMS-MX to boost MS and MS/MS sensitivity, helping to detect, measure, and annotate low-abundance compounds in complex samples..
- The VIP-HESI ion source provides maximum signal intensity and sensitivity.
- The precision detection system supports reliable profiling and quantitation of metabolites and lipids.
“The timsMetabo uniquely combines sensitivity and selectivity, facilitating measurement of both, known biomarkers and the exploration of new metabolic signatures in research on inborn errors of metabolism. This performance versatility in a single instrument accelerates our research in expanding our knowledge of human metabolism from a clinical/translational perspective towards our ultimate goal to use such technologies to unravel pathologic mechanism of disease and promote new therapeutic strategies for both inherited and acquired disorders.”
Frédéric Vaz, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The power to see MoRE metabolism
The innovative MoRE® scan mode expands accessible mobility and m/z space, unlocking broader molecular visibility without increasing analysis time.
Designed for discovery in small molecule research, the timsMetabo™ leverages Bruker’s advanced technologies and workflows to deliver exceptional depth and selectivity for profiling and targeted studies.
A refined ion path geometry builds on successive generations of timsTOF design, enabling efficient ion sampling for incredible sensitivity with analytical scale LC compatibility.
Complex samples demand the measurement selectivity of TIMS-enabled 4D-workflows
TIMS-enhancement enables resolution of isomers, isobars and interferences, reducing the incidence of chimeric MS/MS spectra for high-confidence automated annotation.
Lipid and metabolite annotation benefits from clean MS/MS spectra, especially in automated downstream workflows utilising spectral libraries and in-silico fragmentation (4D-Metabolomics™) and rule-based annotation (4D-Lipidomics™).
Here, co-eluting and co-isolated lipid species, measured using dia-PASEF® 4D-Lipidomics™, are mobility separated, producing distinctive and characteristic MS/MS fragmentation spectra for each. These cleaned spectra form the cornerstone of accurate annotation, interpretation and reporting.
Extended mobility capability for 4D-Metabolomics™
The TIMS-MX analyzer and the innovative MoRE scan mode enhance small molecule transmission for broad metabolome coverage in 4D-Metabolomics™ workflows, unlocking broader molecular visibility without increasing analysis time.
By adding ion mobility as a fully integrated, orthogonal separation dimension, timsMetabo™ reduces spectral congestion and reveals hidden chemical complexity.
Achieve accurate quantitation with low limits of detection for small molecules while using 4D-Metabolomics™ workflows that simultaneously and routinely deliver accurate m/z and CCS measurements for high confidence metabolite annotation.
A Digital Metabolome Archive from each sample analysis
Each sample analysis provides comprehensive data in a single run, including MS1 quantitation together with metabolite descriptors that support confident, automated annotation.
These descriptors include TIMS‑enhanced MS/MS data, collision cross section (CCS), accurate m/z values, LC retention time, and the true isotopic pattern of detected compounds. In addition, the analysis captures TIMS and m/z calibration data, enabling robust and reproducible metabolomics workflows.
The timsMetabo™ enables simultaneous quantitation and characterisation of the analytes within each sample analysis, virtually eliminating the need for re-acquisition. timsMetabo™ data enable confident analysis and annotation and are well suited for AI in metabolomics with machine learning from large-scale, high-quality data sets.
Multidimensional metabolite separation:
- LC separation (optional)
Metabolites in complex biofluids and tissue extracts are chromatographically separated prior to ionization. - TIMS-enhancement
post-ionization, metabolite ions are concentrated and mobility sorted in each measurement cycle. - TIMS-guided quadrupole isolation
Upstream mobility-based ion sorting enables fast and efficient ion targeting in DDA and DIA modes. - High resolution mass spectrometry
Metabolite ions are separated at high resolution by their mass to charge ratio.
Metabolite characterization:
- TIMS-enhanced MS/MS
CID fragmentation spectra from mobility and mass isolated precursors are acquired with excellent coverage and sensitivity owing to upstream TIMS-enhancement, making them perfect for use in automated spectral library matching. - Metabolite mapping
Chromatographic retention time, CCS, m/z and true isotopic pattern values are recorded for each isolated metabolite.
Metabolite quantitation:
- Quantitation
The abundances of isolated metabolites are measured with accuracy and precision.
QSee™ for System Performance Testing
timsMetabo™ integrates QSee™, Bruker’s automated quality control and performance monitoring solution designed for 4D‑enabled metabolomics workflows. QSee™ continuously verifies system performance through standardized testing and clear pass/fail reporting, ensuring data integrity before variation can affect results. Combined with TwinScape™ software for longitudinal monitoring, QSee™ provides sustained confidence in instrument performance across runs, studies, and time.
The QSee™ Performance Test Software and the QSee™ 8-Mix reference mix provide a comprehensive solution for automated system suitability testing in LC-TIMS-MS, promoting consistency and accuracy in large cohort studies.
- For System Performance Testing: Each QSee™ Test returns a report with a pass or fail feedback
- For Long-term Surveillance: Longitudinal data can be used for trend analysis
Data quality monitoring for precision results
When pushing the boundaries of metabolomics and lipidomics-based discovery research, the importance of data quality is paramount. The QSee™ Performance Test Solution offers an easy-to-use Quality Control workflow.
Dedicated columns for metabolomics and lipidomics applications, and compound mixtures, together with Standard Operating Procedures simplify the evaluation of LC-TIMS-MS data quality.
Automatic alignment with TwinScape™ uncovers trends in system performance over time. Stay on top of your performance!
“By integrating QSee Performance Testing into our lab routine, we’re conveniently benchmarking our LC-TIMS-MS system performance before each experiment. The slim and intuitive workflow makes this a straightforward check, and the results provide assurance and peace of mind that we’re consistently producing high quality data.
Confidence in our analytical results has never been higher, thanks to this comprehensive solution. It’s truly a QC game-changer for our lab.”Christoph Trautwein, Ph.D., Director, Core Facility Metabolomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
Advanced profiling and quantification of novel bile acids
Newly discovered, amino acid conjugated bile acids are involved in gut microbe-host interactions. Characterizing these novel and structurally similar compounds is imperative for deciphering their biological function.
“Bile acids are a diverse and biologically important class of molecules involved in nutrient transport, immune regulation, and are altered in response to medications, diet, and disease. Thousands of distinct bile acid structures – including newly discovered microbially modified forms – are now being revealed. Ion mobility, enhanced by CCS values alongside chromatography and MS/MS, is unlocking this hidden complexity, advancing our understanding of bile acid biology, clinical research, and therapeutic discovery. The technology within the timsMetabo will help us better understand this biologically diverse class of molecules routinely, and this is an exciting combination.”
Pieter Dorrestein, Ph.D., Professor, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Unlock comprehensive proteomics insights with timsMetabo
timsMetabo™ is designed to excel in lipidomics and metabolomics while preserving the unique proteomics research capabilities of the timsTOF family. By integrating multiomics capabilities in a single platform, this system offers uniquely comprehensive insights into biological processes, enabling researchers to uncover complex molecular interactions and pathways.
