The part that matters: a vendor with a recent favorable VendorInvestigate report has earned credibility, and a vendor with an unfavorable report is a red flag.
A vendor can request a re-test if they believe VendorInvestigate made an error, and that dispute process is documented.
Mass shifts and what they usually mean
| Δ mass (Da) | Most likely cause | Distinguishing feature |
|---|
| +1 | Deamidation (Asn or Gln) | New peak, slightly earlier retention |
| −17 | Loss of ammonia | Often with deamidation |
| −18 | Dehydration / succinimide | pH-dependent, reversible |
| +16 | Oxidation (Met, Trp) | Earlier retention, light-related |
| −128 | Missing Gln or Lys | Deletion sequence from synthesis |
| 0 | Isomer: racemisation or scrambling | Same mass, shifted retention |
Mechanically, unfavorable reports are important — they flag problems that should affect your supplier decision.
Coverage is not comprehensive — only vendors that enough people choose to test are in the database.
Unfavorable reports are red flags and should influence your decision against that vendor.
edited 8 Jul 2025 by kirsi_lahtinen — expanded the table to cover the lower concentration