2 – Orbitrap Astral Zoom Mass Spectrometer
Next-generation Orbitrap platform accelerating large-scale proteomic discovery
Produced by Thermo Fisher Scientific
The Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Astral Zoom mass spectrometer delivers faster scan speeds, higher sensitivity, and greater throughput over its predecessor. With scan rates up to 270 Hz and enhanced multiplexing capability, it supports deeper proteome coverage and large-scale biomarker discovery. Designed for precision medicine and omics research, the system facilitates high-throughput analyses across proteomics, single-cell studies, and biopharmaceutical development.
What the judges say…
“Breakthrough in resolution, speed, and sensitivity for MS.”
“Numerous possibilities on this instrument thanks to parallel analyzers and hybrid acquisition modes. It looks like the perfect tool for proteomics applications, which has the power to drastically extend the amount of information obtained.”
Insights from technical lead Johannes Petzoldt
Please introduce yourself and your role?
My name is Johannes Petzoldt, and I served as the technical lead for the Orbitrap Astral Zoom MS project. I helped guide the R&D team during the development phases and set the right priorities.
What inspired or sparked the idea behind this innovation?
Our team wanted to build upon the highly successful Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Astral MS to continue pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. We wanted to improve the instrument based on feedback from our customers and make it even faster, and more sensitive with still higher throughput. Our goal was also to expand accessibility and enable more researchers outside the proteomics field with updated capabilities and enhancements that could also shape areas such as biopharma.
What was the biggest hurdle you faced during development and how did you overcome it?
The biggest hurdle that the team faced was balancing the many ideas that we brought together. We had to prioritize the specific innovations that would be the most beneficial to our customers given the time that we had to finalize the instrument before launch.
Was there a defining breakthrough or “eureka” moment that changed the course of the project?
The team brought many complimentary features together in the development of the Orbitrap Astral Zoom MS, all the while aiming to bring the most benefit to our customers across scientific industries and disciplines. Some of these features included higher scan speed with additional injection time from the bent-trap pre-accumulation, as well as enhanced spectral processing which enables a better analysis of complex and dense MS2 spectra. I would say a “eureka” moment for myself and the team was when we were able to see all those puzzle pieces come together in the final product. Since we knew the benefits that this technology could have for the scientific community and global health as a whole, it was truly a great moment to see everything come together to actualize the innovation we imagined.
In brief, what impact could your innovation have?
The Orbitrap Astral Zoom MS offers significantly higher throughput and capacity that will enable scientists to better study larger and more complex molecules; ultimately, we believe this will equip scientists in large translational research studies for diseases like Alzheimer’s to reach new treatments and therapies at a faster rate than ever before. For example, one of our early adopters is already shortening their analysis time for 6,000 patient research samples from 1,000 days to 100 days and significantly accelerating scientific output. That’s incredible!
Did you collaborate with any external teams or partners? If so, how did those collaborations shape the final outcome?
We are collaborating with many groups around the globe, and their feedback and suggestions have certainly shaped the development of the instrument over the last decades. Our instruments are used for such diverse experiments that the development team definitely relies on input from external teams.
Any innovation lessons you’d like to share?
Innovation is definitely a team sport. A great idea on its own is unfortunately not enough; to realize these great ideas, one needs an interdisciplinary team consisting of many R&D skillsets, application experts and more.
Do you find yourself driven more by scientific curiosity or the desire to make an impact?
Given my role as a coordinator, I consider myself impact-driven. By giving new tools to our customers so that they can bring benefits to our society, I am able to do what I enjoy, which is seeing and trying to understand the scientific advancements from researchers using our technology.
What’s next for your team – or for this innovation?
We have many ideas for improvements and of course for future projects, from smaller steps to more breakthrough innovation based on Orbitrap Astral technology. Stay tuned!
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