liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

A laboratory technique that combines two different processes to separate, identify, and measure the amount of different substances in a liquid sample. In the liquid chromatography (LC) part of the process, a liquid sample is passed through a column filled with a material that separates the different substances in the sample. In the mass spectrometry (MS) part of the process, the separated substances then pass through a special machine that reports the molecular weight, structure, identity, and number of different substances in the sample. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry has many uses, including screening for drugs, identifying toxins in the environment, and detecting certain metabolic disorders in infants. Also called LC-MS.