DIA and SWATH

SWATH (sequential window acquisition of full theoretical mass spectra) and DIA (data independent acquisition) are two mass spectrometry techniques mainly used in proteomics research. They are both data-independent acquisition strategies, which are different from traditional data-dependent acquisition (DDA, Data-Dependent Acquisition) methods.

 

SWATH (Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Mass Spectra)

1. SWATH is a trademark name for the DIA technology developed by SCIEX for its TripleTOF series mass spectrometers.

2. In the SWATH mode, preset m/z windows scan the entire mass spectrum range, capturing the fragment information of all ions.

3. With this method, experiments can be reproduced multiple times because all potential peptide information is recorded.

 

DIA (Data-Independent Acquisition)

1. DIA is a generic term that describes a mass spectrometry acquisition strategy that does not depend on real-time ion abundance decisions.

2. In DIA mode, the mass spectrometer systematically captures all fragment ions within a preset m/z window range, rather than fragmenting specific precursor ions based on their abundance.

3. SWATH is just one example of a DIA strategy.

 

Applications and Advantages

1. DIA and SWATH provide more comprehensive sample coverage because they do not rely on the abundance of precursor ions for fragmentation decisions.

2. They are particularly suitable for quantitative proteomics research as the captured data can be compared between different experiments.

3. They offer higher reproducibility compared to DDA.