The Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Tribrid Apex is a new-generation high-resolution hybrid mass spectrometry platform designed for complex structural characterization, multiomics, biopharmaceutical research, structural biology, and small-molecule analysis. It combines a quadrupole mass filter, high-capacity linear ion trap, and Orbitrap mass analyzer with advanced ion parallelization, flexible MSⁿ workflows, and a broad range of fragmentation technologies. The platform is engineered to deliver higher speed, sensitivity, fragmentation flexibility, and confident characterization across demanding biological and chemical applications.
Orbitrap Tribrid Apex is available in four application-focused editions: Small Molecule, MultiOmics, Structural Biology, and BioPharma. Each is built on the common Tribrid architecture while providing capabilities tailored to specific analytical workflows.
Key Features
- Hybrid Tribrid architecture:
- QR5 segmented quadrupole mass filter
- high-capacity linear ion trap
- Orbitrap mass analyzer
- Orbitrap resolution >480,000 FWHM
- Orbitrap acquisition rates up to 75 Hz with TurboTMT
- MSⁿ acquisition in the linear ion trap at up to 100 Hz
- Dual Ion Routing Multipoles for ion parallelization
- Precursor isolation widths down to 0.4 m/z
- Extensive fragmentation capabilities including:
- HCD
- CID
- ETD
- EThcD
- ETciD
- optional UVPD
- optional IRMPD
- Flexible multistage MSⁿ workflows
- Real-Time Library Search and intelligent acquisition strategies
- Auto-Ready 2 ion source for automated and remote calibration
- Oil-free dry pump supplied as standard
- Optional EASY-IC internal calibration for sub-1 ppm mass accuracy
- Optional Native MS, PTCR, and Direct Mass Technology workflows depending on edition and configuration.
Application-Focused Editions
Orbitrap Tribrid Apex Small Molecule MS
Designed for unknown identification, structural elucidation, metabolomics, lipidomics, and combined discovery/quantitation workflows. Multiple orthogonal fragmentation pathways can be combined within a single experiment to provide complementary structural information.
SQUAD—Simultaneous Quantitation and Discovery—combines targeted quantitation and untargeted compound discovery in a single LC-MS analysis. The brochure demonstrates a seven-order linear dynamic range and reports 40% faster polarity switching in the illustrated workflow.
Orbitrap Tribrid Apex MultiOmics MS
Designed for proteomics and broader multiomics workflows, supporting DDA, DIA, hybrid DIA, TMT multiplexing, PRM, glycopeptide analysis, and PTM characterization. Improved ion parallelization and IR-assisted fragmentation enhance peptide characterization and quantitative productivity.
Orbitrap Tribrid Apex Structural Biology MS
Combines Native MS, top-down analysis, flexible MSⁿ fragmentation, and Direct Mass Technology mode to investigate intact protein complexes, molecular interactions, and structural dynamics.
With the Native MS option:
- MS1 range extends to m/z 16,000
- MS²/MSⁿ range extends to m/z 20,000
- quadrupole isolation extends to m/z 12,000
- ion-trap isolation extends to m/z 8,000.
Orbitrap Tribrid Apex BioPharma MS
Designed for comprehensive biotherapeutic characterization from intact mass and top-/middle-down analysis through peptide mapping. Representative workflows include monoclonal antibodies, ADCs, proteoforms, oligonucleotides, and tRNA.
IR-assisted EThcD combined with PTCR MS³ can reduce spectral congestion and increase sequence coverage for heterogeneous biotherapeutics, while Direct Mass Technology mode supports interpretation of complex top- and middle-down spectra.
Tribrid Architecture and Ion Parallelization
The platform incorporates two Ion Routing Multipoles:
- the front IRM performs HCD at the MS² stage,
- the rear IRM supports parallel ion processing and HCD at MS³ and higher stages.
The QR5 segmented quadrupole with hyperbolic surfaces supports precursor isolation widths down to 0.4 m/z, while parallelized ion handling improves throughput in complex MSⁿ workflows.
Fragmentation Capabilities
Available fragmentation approaches include:
- CID – collision-induced dissociation
- HCD – higher-energy collisional dissociation
- ETD – electron transfer dissociation
- EThcD – ETD with supplemental HCD
- ETciD – ETD with supplemental CID
- UVPD – ultraviolet photodissociation, optional
- IRMPD – infrared multiphoton dissociation, optional
The UV-laser option supports applications such as top-down proteomics, oligonucleotides, and lipidomics, while the IR-laser option supports TMT reporter-ion fragmentation, top-down MS, and peptide workflows.
Direct Mass Technology Mode
Optional Direct Mass Technology mode uses single-ion detection to assign charge without relying on conventional isotope or charge-state patterns. It expands characterization capabilities for intact proteins, protein complexes, proteoforms, heterogeneous biologics, and complex top-down spectra.
Intelligent Acquisition
The platform supports intelligent acquisition tools including:
- Real-Time Library Search
- Adaptive Real-Time Library Search
- Smart Targeted TMT
- spectral-library-directed MSⁿ
- pre-built method templates.
Available Editions and Options
Instrument Editions
- B51008787 – Orbitrap Tribrid Apex Structural Biology MS
- B51008788 – Orbitrap Tribrid Apex BioPharma MS
- B51008789 – Orbitrap Tribrid Apex MultiOmics MS
- B51008790 – Orbitrap Tribrid Apex Small Molecule MS
Listed Options
- B51008633 – UV-laser option for Tribrid MS
- B51008634 – IR-laser option for Tribrid MS
- B51009083 – Native MS option for Tribrid MS
- B51009084 – Direct Mass Technology mode option for Tribrid MS
Typical Applications
- Proteomics and multiomics
- TMT and label-free quantitation
- Glycoproteomics and PTM analysis
- Top-down and middle-down proteomics
- Native MS
- HDX-MS
- Structural biology
- Monoclonal antibodies
- ADCs and other biotherapeutics
- Oligonucleotides and RNA
- Lipidomics
- Metabolomics
- Small-molecule analysis
- Unknown identification
- Structural elucidation
- Targeted and untargeted quantitation
