NRNU MEPhI: Mass spectrometers

2025: Passing State Acceptance Tests

The prototype of the first domestic three-quadrupole mass spectrometer created at NRNU MEPhI passed state acceptance tests, and a serial production of the product is being prepared. This was announced on October 22, 2025 by the press service of MEPhI.

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Фото: NRNU MEPhI

Tandem mass spectrometers have been reported to detect which substances and at what concentrations are contained in the sample they are analyzing. On the world market, such devices are produced by only a few companies, in Russia the device has not been produced before. Scientists at NRNU MEPhI were able to create it in just three years.

The device is designed for use both in scientific research and in a number of key areas of ensuring the life and safety of the country. In health care, this is, for example, the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases of newborns that can be adjusted only in infancy. In pharmaceuticals, this is analytical support for the development of medicines, as well as their preclinical and clinical trials. In the agricultural industry, this is quality control and safety of agricultural products. Registration of veterinary medicines, control of animal feed, as well as monitoring of the safety of livestock products are largely based on the use of guidelines and GOSTs, which provide for the use of tandem mass spectrometry. In forensics and forensics, the use of such devices, among other things, allows detailed examination of material evidence and toxicological studies.

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Фото: NRNU MEPhI

As of October 2025, only simpler mass spectrometers are produced in Russia, for example, for gas analysis. Our device makes it possible to study liquids, it is more complex, allows you to transport ions from the area of ​ ​ atmospheric pressure to vacuum, where there are three radio-frequency devices - two quadrupole mass filters and a cell for fragmentation of ions between them. It is intended for quantitative molecular analysis, which determines, firstly, the molecular composition of complex mixtures and, secondly, the concentration of specific substances in the mixture. Mass spectrometers use ion separation in electric and magnetic fields. Specifically, our device uses radio-frequency electric fields through which ions pass, and which work as mass filters. told Alexey Sysoev, chief designer of the device, head of the laboratory "Applied ion physics and mass spectrometry," professor of the department "Molecular physics" of the Institute of Laser and Plasma Technologies of NRNU MEPhI

According to representatives of NRNU MEPhI, the country's need for a tandem three-quadrupole mass spectrometer is more than 50 devices per year (approximately so much was imported Russia until 2022). Interested in it are the National Medical Research Center endocrinology named after Academician Dedov, Ministry of Health of Russia the All-Russian State Center for the Quality and Standardization of Medicines for Animals and Feed and other institutions and laboratories, the Faculty of Rosselkhoznadzor Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University Chemistry named after MSU Lomonosov, the Institute of Physical chemistry and Electrochemistry named after Frumkin, RAS Institute of Synthesis petrochemical named after Topchiev RAS. There is already a preliminary agreement with these organizations on long-term tests planned for the release of samples of the installation series. As of October 22, 2025, negotiations are underway with investors for the serial production of the device.

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Фото: NRNU MEPhI

All Rosselkhoznadzor laboratories in our country need your device, of which there are more than 100 as of October 2025. The field of application within his work: mass spectrometers are actively used in ensuring the food safety of our country to control more than 500 names of various compounds that belong to prohibited and harmful substances (these are antibiotics, antimicrobials, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, sedative, hormonal, antiparasitic and many other compounds, toxins of various nature, pesticides, etc.). All this is controlled in food and feed products by mass spectrometry. The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision in our country is the largest holder and main user of devices of this class, ensuring the food safety of our country and supporting the export potential of our manufacturers. The emergence of this device is a very important milestone, it is a real possibility of acquiring the country's technological sovereignty in this area and independence from the supply of equipment from unfriendly countries. told Alexey Tretyakov, Deputy Director for Science, All-Russian State Center for Quality and Standardization of Medicines for Animals and Feed

2024: Development of software for tandem mass spectrometer at MGMU

B First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov Ministry of Health Russia is being Software for the Russian tandem mass spectrometer, NRNU MEPHI developed in the framework of the federal project "Development of domestic instrument making for civil purposes for scientific research." MGMU announced this on September 16, 2024. More. here

2022: Launch of the project for the creation of a domestic tandem mass spectrometer

As part of the state development program scientific instrument making NRNU MEPHI , a project was launched to create domestic a tandem mass spectrometer. To implement this project, the university is creating the laboratory "Applied Ion Physics and Mass Spectrometry" (as a joint laboratory of the LaPlaza and INTEL institutes). This was announced by the company NRNU MEPhI on September 21, 2022. Professor Alexey Sysoev has been appointed the head of this unit.

Mass spectrometers are the most informative instruments capable of determining the chemical composition of liquid and gaseous substances. According to Alexei Sysoev, the Department of Molecular Physics of NRNU MEPhI has long-standing reserves in the development of such devices, but if earlier it was about creating devices for export, then in September 2022 the question is primarily about meeting Russian needs for chemical analysis devices.

Mass spectrometers are used in a wide variety of fields, in particular, they are of great importance for ensuring food safety and. medicine All Russia mass spectrometers used in tandem are of imported origin, world in such devices they are produced exclusively the American the Japanese by companies. Anti-Russian sanctions exclude the purchase of both new devices and spare parts for them, which makes the creation of domestic devices acute.

The working layout of the domestic tandem mass spectrometer is located in NRNU MEPhI during assembly. It is planned that a prototype of the device will be created in 2024, and an installation series will be released in 2025. The probable manufacturer of the series is the industrial partner of NRNU MEPhI, a participant in the Skolkovo project, the Medchromtech company.

The Russian need for tandem mass spectrometers, according to Alexei Sysoev, is about 50 devices per year, and about 30 more devices could be exported.

The desire to participate in the project of creating a domestic mass spectrometer together with NRNU MEPhI has already been expressed by Sechenov University, the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University, the Institute of Analytical Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Petroof Petrochemical Synthesis. Partners, in particular, are ready to take over the development of chemical analysis methods and finishing tests of this device. Students and graduate students of NRNU MEPhI will be involved in work in the laboratory.